# CVE-2017-17515: Command injection in n/a

> Metview may allow argument injection via the BROWSER environment variable, though this feature is reportedly disabled in shipped products.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 14 Dec 2017
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2017-17515, GHSA-r9gq-38jp-7grq

## What is CVE-2017-17515?

CVE-2017-17515 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 14 Dec 2017. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

etc/ObjectList in Metview 4.7.3 does not validate strings before launching the program specified by the BROWSER environment variable, which might allow remote attackers to conduct argument-injection attacks via a crafted URL. NOTE: a third party has indicated that the code to access this environment variable is not enabled in the shipped product

Weakness: CWE-74 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2017-17515?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Debian Debian Linux, Ecmwf Metview.

## How do I fix CVE-2017-17515?

No fix has been published for CVE-2017-17515 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2017-17515 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2017-17515 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Debian Debian Linux

- [CVE-2015-3306](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-3306/): ProFTPD Improper Access Control (critical 10.0, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-49113](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-49113/): RoundCube Webmail Deserialization of Untrusted Data (critical 9.9, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-24061](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-24061/): GNU InetUtils Argument Injection (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-39682](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-39682/): Linux Kernel Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-9680](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-9680/): Mozilla Firefox Use-After-Free (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2017-17515 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2017-17515 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 14 Dec 2017. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2017-17515 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Debian Debian 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-2017-17515/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-17515/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-17515
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-17515
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2017-17515

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-17515/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.