CVE-2017-17655
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedThis vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on vulnerable installations of Quest NetVault Backup 11.3.0.12. Authentication is not required to exploit this vulnerability. The specific flaw exists within the handling of NVBUBackup PluginList method requests. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of a user-supplied string before using it to construct SQL queries. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the underlying database. Was ZDI-CAN-4289.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceSQL injection vulnerability in Quest NetVault Backup 11.3.0.12's NVBUBackup PluginList method allows unauthenticated remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by injecting malicious SQL queries through unsanitized user input. This is a pre-authentication RCE vector with database-level execution context.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data= 11.3.0.12CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify if Quest NetVault Backup is installedCheck for NetVault Backup installation directories (typically C:\Program Files\Quest\NetVault Backup or /opt/netvault) and look for the netvault executable or serviceAffected if NetVault Backup software is present on the system
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Verify the installed version matches 11.3.0.12Run 'netvault version' command, check the GUI About dialog, or inspect the version info in the installation directory (often in a version.txt or similar file in the bin folder)Affected if The installed version is exactly 11.3.0.12
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Confirm the NVBUBackup service is runningCheck for the NetVault Backup service (named 'NetVault Backup Service' or similar) in Windows Services or via 'sc query NVBUBackup' on Windows, or 'ps -ef | grep netvault' on UnixAffected if The NetVault Backup service is running and accepting connections on the management port (typically 8443 or 20031)
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Determine if the PluginList endpoint is network accessibleAttempt to access the NVBUBackup web interface or API endpoint that exposes the PluginList method (typically at /RPC/NVBUBackup or similar path on the management port)Affected if The NetVault Backup management interface is exposed on a network-accessible IP without authentication
A system is affected only if Quest NetVault Backup version 11.3.0.12 is installed and the management interface exposing the PluginList method is network-accessible.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataApply vendor patch if available; if no patch, restrict network exposure of the NetVault Backup service and implement input validation/WAF rules on the PluginList method endpoint.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2017-17655 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2017-17655 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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