CVE-2017-9453
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 · uneditedBMC Server Automation before 8.9.01 patch 1 allows Process Spawner command execution because of authentication bypass.
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 · moderate confidenceBMC Server Automation contains an authentication bypass vulnerability in the Process Spawner component that allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands without valid credentials. This affects versions prior to 8.9.01 patch 1.
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<= 8.9.01CVSS 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:3.1/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 BMC Server Automation installationLocate BMC Server Automation binaries, services, or installation directories on the system. Check for processes named 'RSCD', 'Process Spawner', or related BMC components.Affected if BMC Server Automation is not found on the system, the vulnerability does not apply.
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Determine installed versionUse BMC utility commands or inspect version files within the BMC Server Automation installation directory to obtain the exact version number and patch level.Affected if The installed version is prior to 8.9.01 patch 1 (for example, 8.9.01 without patch, 8.8.x, or earlier).
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Check Process Spawner statusIdentify whether the Process Spawner component is enabled and listening for network connections. Examine service configurations, listening ports, and firewall rules.Affected if Process Spawner is enabled and exposed on the network without additional authentication controls.
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Verify authentication configurationReview Process Spawner configuration files and authentication settings to confirm whether authentication is properly enforced for remote command execution.Affected if Authentication is disabled or improperly configured for the Process Spawner service.
A system is affected if BMC Server Automation with Process Spawner is installed and the version is prior to 8.9.01 patch 1, with the Process Spawner component exposed and lacking proper authentication controls.
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.
dbcve · scopedApply BMC Server Automation version 8.9.01 patch 1 or later to address the authentication bypass. If immediate patching is not feasible, implement network segmentation to restrict unauthorized access to the Process Spawner service.
BMC Server Automation 8.9.01 patch 1 or later
- Identify all BMC Server Automation instances in your environment
- Check the current version of BMC Server Automation (typically via the System Management Console or version command)
- Confirm the version is <= 8.9.01 (unpatched)
- Obtain BMC Server Automation version 8.9.01 patch 1 or later from BMC (requires valid support contract)
- Apply the patch following BMC's standard patch deployment procedures, typically via the Patch Manager or BLCLI commands
- Restart the Process Spawner service after applying the patch
- Verify the patch was applied successfully by checking the version shows 8.9.01 patch 1 or higher
- Confirm the authentication bypass is remediated by testing that unauthenticated Process Spawner commands are no longer accepted
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation8.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $6,304.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2017-9453 — 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-2017-9453 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
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data