# CVE-2017-13779: Privilege escalation in n/a

> Local attackers can escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code by replacing a VBScript file in the GSTN Offline Utility due to insecure directory permissions.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/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:** 14 Sep 2017
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-hpj2-fvgp-gjcx

## What is CVE-2017-13779?

CVE-2017-13779 is a high-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 14 Sep 2017. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

GSTN_offline_tool in India Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) Offline Utility tool before 1.2 executes winstart-server.vbs from the "C:\GST Offline Tool" directory, which has insecure permissions. This allows local users to gain privileges by replacing winstart-server.vbs with arbitrary VBScript code. For example, a local user could create VBScript code for a TCP reverse shell, and use that later for Remote Command Execution.

Weakness: CWE-732 (Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2017-13779?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Gstn India Goods and Services Tax Network Offline Utility Tool.

## How do I fix CVE-2017-13779?

No fix has been published for CVE-2017-13779 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2017-13779 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2017-13779 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2017-13779 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2017-13779 is a high-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 14 Sep 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-2017-13779 in the wild and no public exploit code.

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-2017-13779/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-13779/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-13779
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-13779
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2017-13779

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-13779/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.