# CVE-2017-17671: Path traversal in n/a

> Remote attackers can execute arbitrary PHP code on Windows vBulletin installations by exploiting directory traversal in the routestring parameter.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/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:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 14 Dec 2017
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-6378-4h5g-h5vx

## What is CVE-2017-17671?

CVE-2017-17671 is a critical path traversal vulnerability in Vbulletin Vbulletin, published on 14 Dec 2017. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

vBulletin through 5.3.x on Windows allows remote PHP code execution because a require_once call is reachable with an unauthenticated request that can include directory traversal sequences to specify an arbitrary pathname, and because ../ traversal is blocked but ..\ traversal is not blocked. For example, an attacker can make an invalid HTTP request containing PHP code, and then make an index.php?routestring= request with enough instances of ".." to reach an Apache HTTP Server log file.

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2017-17671?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Vbulletin Vbulletin.

## How do I fix CVE-2017-17671?

No fix has been published for CVE-2017-17671 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2017-17671 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2017-17671 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Vbulletin Vbulletin

- [CVE-2020-17496](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-17496/): vBulletin PHP Module Remote Code Execution (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2019-16759](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-16759/): vBulletin PHP Module Remote Code Execution (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-48827](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-48827/): vBulletin 5.0.0 through 5.7.5 and 6.0.0 through 6.0.3 allows unauthenticated users to invoke protected API controllers' methods when running (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2023-25135](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-25135/): Deserialization in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2020-7373](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-7373/): Code injection in n/a (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2017-17671 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2017-17671 is a critical path traversal vulnerability in Vbulletin Vbulletin, published on 14 Dec 2017. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2017-17671 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Vbulletin Vbulletin. 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-2017-17671/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-17671/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-17671
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-17671
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2017-17671

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-17671/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.