CVE-2017-7507
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 · uneditedGnuTLS version 3.5.12 and earlier is vulnerable to a NULL pointer dereference while decoding a status response TLS extension with valid contents. This could lead to a crash of the GnuTLS server application.
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 confidenceGnuTLS versions 3.5.12 and earlier contain a NULL pointer dereference vulnerability in the status response TLS extension decoding logic. When processing a status response extension with valid contents during a TLS handshake, the library attempts to dereference a NULL pointer, causing the server application to crash.
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<= 3.5.12CVSS 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
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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.
-
Determine GnuTLS library versionRun 'gnutls-cli --version' or check the installed libgnutls package version via your system's package manager (e.g., 'dpkg -l libgnutls30' on Debian/Ubuntu, 'rpm -q gnutls' on RHEL/CentOS)Affected if The version number returned is 3.5.12 or earlier
-
Identify applications using GnuTLSReview running services that handle TLS connections (such as web servers, mail servers, or VPN daemons) and verify they link against libgnutls. Use 'ldd <executable>' on suspect binaries to confirm they load libgnutls.soAffected if The service binary links to a vulnerable GnuTLS library version
-
Check if status response extension (OCSP stapling) is enabledExamine the configuration of TLS-enabled services for OCSP stapling or 'status_request' extension settings. For Apache, check 'SSLUseStapling' and 'SSLStaplingCache'; for Nginx, check 'ssl_stapling' directives; for other applications, look for OCSP or status response related configurationAffected if OCSP stapling is explicitly enabled in the service configuration, making it vulnerable to the NULL pointer dereference when processing valid status response extensions
A system is affected if it runs GnuTLS version 3.5.12 or earlier AND uses OCSP stapling/status response TLS extension, as the crash occurs only when processing a status response extension with valid contents during a TLS handshake.
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 dataUpgrade GnuTLS to version 3.5.13 or later, which contains the fix for this NULL pointer dereference. As this is a server-side DoS vulnerability, prioritize patching internet-facing TLS servers using affected GnuTLS versions.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,752.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2017-7507 — 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-2017-7507 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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.
- 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