# CVE-2017-16959: Path traversal in n/a

> Authenticated attackers can read arbitrary files on TP-Link routers via crafted HTTP headers in the locale feature.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.5 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **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:** 27 Nov 2017
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-f5x4-48f8-6w8q

## What is CVE-2017-16959?

CVE-2017-16959 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in n/a, published on 27 Nov 2017. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The locale feature in cgi-bin/luci on TP-Link TL-WVR, TL-WAR, TL-ER, and TL-R devices allows remote authenticated users to test for the existence of arbitrary files by making an operation=write;locale=%0d request, and then making an operation=read request with a crafted Accept-Language HTTP header, related to the set_sysinfo and get_sysinfo functions in /usr/lib/lua/luci/controller/locale.lua in uhttpd.

Weakness: CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2017-16959?

It affects 53 products.


Products: Tp-Link Tl-Er3210g Firmware, Tp-Link Tl-Er3220g Firmware, Tp-Link Tl-Er5110g Firmware, Tp-Link Tl-Er5120g Firmware, Tp-Link Tl-Er5510g Firmware, Tp-Link Tl-Er5520g Firmware, Tp-Link Tl-Er6110g Firmware, Tp-Link Tl-Er6120g Firmware, Tp-Link Tl-Er6220g Firmware, Tp-Link Tl-Er6510g Firmware, Tp-Link Tl-Er6520g Firmware, Tp-Link Tl-Er7520g Firmware, Tp-Link Tl-R4149g Firmware, Tp-Link Tl-R4239g Firmware, Tp-Link Tl-R4299g Firmware, Tp-Link Tl-R473 Firmware, Tp-Link Tl-R473g Firmware, Tp-Link Tl-R473p-Ac Firmware, Tp-Link Tl-R478\+ Firmware, Tp-Link Tl-R478 Firmware and 33 more.

## How do I fix CVE-2017-16959?

No fix has been published for CVE-2017-16959 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2017-16959 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2017-16959 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2017-16957](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-16957/): Command injection in n/a (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2017-16958](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-16958/): Command injection in n/a (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2017-16960](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-16960/): Command injection in n/a (high 8.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2017-16959 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2017-16959 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in n/a, published on 27 Nov 2017. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2017-16959 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-2017-16959/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-16959/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-16959
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-16959
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2017-16959

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-16959/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.