CVE-2017-9646
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 · uneditedAn Uncontrolled Search Path Element issue was discovered in Solar Controls Heating Control Downloader (HCDownloader) Version 1.0.1.15 and prior. An uncontrolled search path element has been identified, which could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code on a target system using a malicious DLL file.
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 confidenceSolar Controls HCDownloader version 1.0.1.15 and prior contains an uncontrolled search path element vulnerability that allows the application to load DLL files from insecure locations. An attacker can place a malicious DLL in a directory that precedes the legitimate DLL location in the search order, causing the application to execute arbitrary code when launched.
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<= 1.0.1.15CVSS 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
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/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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Locate HCDownloader executableSearch for 'HCDownloader.exe' on the system using file explorer search or command: dir /s /b C:\HCDownloader.exe 2>nulAffected if The executable exists on the system and is version 1.0.1.15 or lower
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Determine installed versionRight-click the HCDownloader.exe file, select Properties, and check the Details tab for File Version or Product VersionAffected if The version shown is 1.0.1.15 or any version lower than that
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Examine the application's run locationNote the full path from which HCDownloader.exe is launched. Check if it runs from a user-writable directory such as Downloads, Desktop, or a shared network locationAffected if The application runs from a directory where untrusted users can write files, enabling DLL planting
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Review PATH environment for the user contextOpen Command Prompt and run 'echo %PATH%' to view the PATH variable. Check if any directories in the search path are user-writable or world-writableAffected if Any directory in PATH precedes the application's installation directory and allows unauthenticated DLL placement
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Inspect for DLL files alongside the executableOpen the folder containing HCDownloader.exe and list all DLL files present in that directoryAffected if Any DLL files exist in the application directory that could be replaced with a malicious version
A user is affected if HCDownloader version 1.0.1.15 or lower is installed and runs from or has accessible directories in its search path that permit untrusted file placement.
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 dataUpdate to a patched version of HCDownloader if available. If no patch exists, remove the application or ensure it runs from a secure, controlled directory with proper access restrictions to prevent unauthorized DLL placement.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing1.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2017-9646 — 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-2017-9646 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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