CVE-2018-5717
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 · uneditedMemory write mechanism in NCR S2 Dispenser controller before firmware version 0x0108 allows an unauthenticated user to upgrade or downgrade the firmware of the device, including to older versions with known vulnerabilities.
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 confidenceThe NCR S2 Dispenser controller before firmware version 0x0108 contains an unauthenticated memory write mechanism that allows any user to upgrade or downgrade the device firmware. This enables an attacker to revert to older firmware versions that contain known vulnerabilities, effectively bypassing security improvements in newer versions.
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< 0x0108CVSS 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
- High
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
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.
-
Retrieve the current firmware versionAccess the NCR S2 Dispenser controller through its management interface or diagnostic port and retrieve the installed firmware version information. This may be available via the device status screen, administrative console, or a version query command.Affected if The firmware version displayed is less than 0x0108 (for example, 0x0107 or earlier)
-
Verify firmware version through bootloader or startup logsExamine the device boot sequence, bootloader output, or system logs that display the firmware version during device initialization. This can provide an authoritative version number independent of the running configuration.Affected if The version reported in boot logs or bootloader is below 0x0108
-
Confirm firmware write accessibilityTest whether the firmware upload or update mechanism can be accessed without authentication. Attempt to access the firmware upgrade interface or check if the device accepts firmware write requests from unauthenticated sources.Affected if The device allows firmware write operations without requiring authentication credentials
-
Check for recent firmware change eventsReview device event logs, audit trails, or change management records for any firmware modification events, particularly those that may indicate a downgrade or unauthorized change.Affected if Firmware was recently modified, downgraded, or changed without documented authorization
The environment is affected if the NCR S2 Dispenser controller is running firmware version 0x0107 or earlier, or if unauthenticated firmware write access is possible on the device.
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 data0x0108
Upgrade the NCR S2 Dispenser controller firmware to version 0x0108 or later to remediate the unauthenticated firmware write vulnerability. Verify that no unauthorized firmware rollback has occurred on deployed units.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 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 $5,120.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-5717 — 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-2018-5717 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