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Mini HttpdWeb server / proxy · Acme

CVE-2017-17663

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.0 Published 2018-02-06
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 1.28 / 2.28 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

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 · unedited
The htpasswd implementation of mini_httpd before v1.28 and of thttpd before v2.28 is affected by a buffer overflow that can be exploited remotely to perform code execution.

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 confidence

Buffer overflow vulnerability in the htpasswd implementation of mini_httpd (versions before 1.28) and thttpd (versions before 2.28) allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via crafted input.

MitigationUpgrade mini_httpd to version 1.28 or later, and thttpd to version 2.28 or later. If upgrading is not immediately possible, restrict network access to the affected services and ensure htpasswd authentication is not exposed to untrusted networks.

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
Mini HttpdWeb server / proxy
Affected:< 1.28
ThttpdWeb server / proxy
Affected:< 2.28

CVSS 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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify if mini_httpd or thttpd is installed
    Check for running HTTP server processes: ps aux | grep -E 'mini_httpd|thttpd' or check for the binaries in common locations like /usr/sbin/mini_httpd, /usr/sbin/thttpd, /usr/bin/thttpd
    Affected if Either mini_httpd or thttpd binary or process is found on the system
  2. Determine the installed version of mini_httpd
    Run mini_httpd -v or mini_httpd -V, or check the package version: dpkg -l mini_httpd or rpm -qi mini_httpd
    Affected if The version number is lower than 1.28 (e.g., 1.27, 1.26, etc.)
  3. Determine the installed version of thttpd
    Run thttpd -v or thttpd -V, or check the package version: dpkg -l thttpd or rpm -qi thttpd
    Affected if The version number is lower than 2.28 (e.g., 2.27, 2.26, etc.)
  4. Check if htpasswd authentication is configured
    Look for htpasswd file references in the server configuration (often named .htpasswd or passwd) and check config files for AuthUserFile directives
    Affected if htpasswd-based authentication is enabled and the server is using a vulnerable version

You are affected if mini_httpd versions before 1.28 or thttpd versions before 2.28 are installed AND htpasswd authentication is in use on the server.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 1.28 / 2.28 or later
Fixed in 1.282.28
Interim mitigation

Upgrade mini_httpd to version 1.28 or later, and thttpd to version 2.28 or later. If upgrading is not immediately possible, restrict network access to the affected services and ensure htpasswd authentication is not exposed to untrusted networks.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

mini_httpd v1.28 or thttpd v2.28

  1. 1. Identify which web server is in use (mini_httpd or thttpd) by checking the running processes or service configuration
  2. 2. Stop the web server service to ensure no active connections during upgrade
  3. 3. Download the fixed version: mini_httpd v1.28 or thttpd v2.28 from the official source at acme.com
  4. 4. Verify the integrity of the downloaded package using checksums if available
  5. 5. Backup the current configuration files (httpd.conf, .htpasswd files, and any custom settings)
  6. 6. Install the new version, preserving existing configuration files
  7. 7. Restart the web server service
  8. 8. Verify the service is running correctly and the htpasswd functionality works as expected

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Mini Httpd Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
13.0 hours of engineering $2,280
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,648.

Scan for this in your stack

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2017-17663 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • 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
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data