# CVE-2017-13681: Privilege escalation in Symantec Endpoint Protection

> Local attackers can gain elevated privileges by writing to specific files and directories, requiring local access rather than remote exploitation.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:L/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:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 6 Nov 2017
- **Updated:** 16 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-fj4f-frxp-mfr4

## What is CVE-2017-13681?

CVE-2017-13681 is a high-severity vulnerability in Symantec Endpoint Protection, published on 6 Nov 2017. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Symantec Endpoint Protection prior to SEP 12.1 RU6 MP9 could be susceptible to a privilege escalation vulnerability, which is a type of issue that allows a user to gain elevated access to resources that are normally protected at lower access levels. In the circumstances of this issue, the capability of exploit is limited by the need to perform multiple file and directory writes to the local filesystem and as such, is not feasible in a standard drive-by type attack.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2017-13681?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Symantec Endpoint Protection.

## How do I fix CVE-2017-13681?

No fix has been published for CVE-2017-13681 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2017-13681 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2017-13681 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Symantec Endpoint Protection

- [CVE-2012-0295](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-0295/): Code injection in n/a (critical 9.3)
- [CVE-2018-5237](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-5237/): Privilege escalation in Symantec Endpoint Protection (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2020-5836](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-5836/): Privilege escalation in Symantec Endpoint Protection (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2020-5837](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-5837/): Path traversal in Symantec Endpoint Protection (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2020-5820](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-5820/): Privilege escalation in Symantec Endpoint Protection (SEP) and Symantec Endpoint Protection Small Business Edition (SEP SBE) (high 7.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2017-13681 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2017-13681 is a high-severity vulnerability in Symantec Endpoint Protection, published on 6 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-2017-13681 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Symantec Endpoint Protection. 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-2017-13681/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-13681/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-13681
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-13681
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2017-13681

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-13681/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.