# CVE-2017-12313: Path traversal in Cisco Network Academy Packet Tracer

> Local attackers can execute arbitrary code with SYSTEM privileges via DLL hijacking in Cisco Packet Tracer if a user runs the installer from a directory containing a malicious DLL.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.7 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 16 Nov 2017
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-7j6x-crqm-f55c

## What is CVE-2017-12313?

CVE-2017-12313 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in Cisco Network Academy Packet Tracer, published on 16 Nov 2017. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

An untrusted search path (aka DLL Preload) vulnerability in the Cisco Network Academy Packet Tracer software could allow an authenticated, local attacker to execute arbitrary code via DLL hijacking if a local user with administrative privileges executes the installer in the current working directory where a crafted DLL has been placed by an attacker. The vulnerability is due to incomplete input validation of path and file names of a DLL file before it is loaded. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by creating a malicious DLL file and installing it in a specific system directory. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute commands on the underlying Microsoft Windows host with privileges equivalent to the SYSTEM account. An attacker would need valid user credentials to exploit this vulnerability.

Weakness: CWE-426 (Untrusted Search Path), CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation), CWE-427 (Uncontrolled Search Path Element)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2017-12313?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Cisco Packet Tracer.

## How do I fix CVE-2017-12313?

No fix has been published for CVE-2017-12313 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2017-12313 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2017-12313 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Cisco Network Academy Packet Tracer

- [CVE-2010-3135](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-3135/): Path traversal in n/a (critical 9.3)
- [CVE-2021-1593](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-1593/): Cisco Packet Tracer for Windows DLL Injection Vulnerability (high 7.3)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2017-12313 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2017-12313 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in Cisco Network Academy Packet Tracer, published on 16 Nov 2017. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2017-12313 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Cisco Network Academy Packet Tracer. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-12313/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-12313/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-12313
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-12313
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2017-12313

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-12313/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.