# CVE-2017-15873: Integer overflow in n/a

> An integer overflow in BusyBox's bunzip2 decompression allows attackers to cause a write access violation, potentially leading to code execution or crashes.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 24 Oct 2017
- **Updated:** 9 Jun 2025
- **Also known as:** ALPINE-CVE-2017-15873, DEBIAN-CVE-2017-15873, GHSA-8g36-v598-qvrf, UBUNTU-CVE-2017-15873

## What is CVE-2017-15873?

CVE-2017-15873 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Canonical Ubuntu Linux, published on 24 Oct 2017. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

The get_next_block function in archival/libarchive/decompress_bunzip2.c in BusyBox 1.27.2 has an Integer Overflow that may lead to a write access violation.

Weakness: CWE-190 (Integer Overflow or Wraparound)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2017-15873?

It affects 3 products.


Products: Busybox Busybox, Canonical Ubuntu Linux, Debian Debian Linux.

## How do I fix CVE-2017-15873?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2017-15873 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2017-15873 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Canonical Ubuntu Linux

- [CVE-2022-48174](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-48174/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2021-42377](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-42377/): Memory corruption in busybox (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2016-2148](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-2148/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2022-28391](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-28391/): Command injection in n/a (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2017-16544](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-16544/): Code injection in n/a (high 8.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2017-15873 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2017-15873 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Canonical Ubuntu Linux, published on 24 Oct 2017. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2017-15873 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Canonical Ubuntu Linux. 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-2017-15873/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-15873/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-15873
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-15873
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2017-15873

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-15873/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.