# CVE-2017-17518: Command injection in n/a

> Attackers could inject arguments into the browser command via crafted URLs in older versions of White_dune, potentially executing arbitrary code.

- **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-2017-17518, GHSA-mv62-mvf8-cmm2

## What is CVE-2017-17518?

CVE-2017-17518 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in n/a, 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

swt/motif/browser.c in White_dune (aka whitedune) 0.30.10 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: This issue is being disputed as not being a vulnerability because “the current version of white_dune (1.369 at https://wdune.ourproject.org/) do not use a "BROWSER environment variable". Instead, the "browser" variable is read from the $HOME/.dunerc file (or from the M$Windows registry). It is configurable in the "options" menu. The default is chosen in the ./configure script, which tests various programs, first tested is "xdg-open".

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2017-17518?

It affects 1 product.


Products: White Dune Project White Dune.

## How do I fix CVE-2017-17518?

No fix has been published for CVE-2017-17518 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2017-17518 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2017-17518 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2017-17518 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2017-17518 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in n/a, 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-2017-17518 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-2017-17518/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-17518/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-17518
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-17518
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2017-17518

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-17518/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.