# CVE-2017-12479: Privilege escalation in n/a

> A remote attacker with low-privilege credentials can exploit session logic to gain root privileges and execute arbitrary commands on Unitrends Backup.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 7 Aug 2017
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-qm9m-fp5f-xg9x

## What is CVE-2017-12479?

CVE-2017-12479 is a high-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 7 Aug 2017. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

It was discovered that an issue in the session logic in Unitrends Backup (UB) before 10.0.0 allowed using the LOGDIR environment variable during a web session to elevate an existing low-privilege user to root privileges. A remote attacker with existing low-privilege credentials could then execute arbitrary commands with root privileges.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2017-12479?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Kaseya Unitrends Backup.

## How do I fix CVE-2017-12479?

No fix has been published for CVE-2017-12479 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2017-12479 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2017-12479 exists.

Public exploit code:

- Unitrends UEB 9.1 - Privilege Escalation (exploitdb)

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2021-40386](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-40386/): Code injection in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2021-43033](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-43033/): Command injection in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2021-43035](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-43035/): SQL injection in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2021-43036](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-43036/): Hardcoded credentials in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2021-43042](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-43042/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2017-12479 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2017-12479 is a high-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 7 Aug 2017. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2017-12479 exists.

Affected product: n/a. 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-2017-12479/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-12479/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-12479
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-12479
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2017-12479

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-12479/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.