# CVE-2017-9450: Privilege escalation in n/a

> Local users can escalate privileges to root and execute arbitrary code by creating files in a specific directory within the AWS CloudFormation bootstrap tools.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 30 Oct 2017
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-f3fp-86mw-cx9h

## What is CVE-2017-9450?

CVE-2017-9450 is a high-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 30 Oct 2017. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The Amazon Web Services (AWS) CloudFormation bootstrap tools package (aka aws-cfn-bootstrap) before 1.4-19.10 allows local users to execute arbitrary code with root privileges by leveraging the ability to create files in an unspecified directory.

Weakness: CWE-269 (Improper Privilege Management)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2017-9450?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Amazon Amazon Web Services Cloudformation Bootstrap.

## How do I fix CVE-2017-9450?

No fix has been published for CVE-2017-9450 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2017-9450 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2017-9450 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2017-9450 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2017-9450 is a high-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 30 Oct 2017. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2017-9450 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-2017-9450/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-9450/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-9450
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-9450
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2017-9450

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-9450/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.