Skip to content
Noroxi
CVE-2017-17521· NVD / CVE Program· CNA mitre

uiutil.c in FontForge through 20170731 does not validate strings before launching the program specified by the BROWSER environment variable,

uiutil.c in FontForge through 20170731 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, a different vulnerability than CVE-2017-17534.

HighCVSS 8.8 · v3.0—No exploit Fix available

Noroxi analysis

No Noroxi analysis for this record yet

We don't hand-write analysis for the hundreds of thousands of vulnerabilities in the database; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.

We use this product, ask for help
Published
Dec 14, 2017
Updated
Jun 16, 2026
EPSS
1.8% · 78th percentile
Follow this CVE

Sign in to follow · You’ll be notified if a followed record enters KEV, gets an exploit or is updated.

Report tools

JSON

Action score

36

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
35 / 40 · 8.8 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
1 / 30 · 1.8%

Affected systems

VendorProduct
fontforgefontforge

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

  • fontforge fontforgeup to 20170731 inclusive

Package-level exposure

OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Debian:12fontforgebefore 1:20201107~dfsg-11:20201107~dfsg-1
openSUSE:Tumbleweedfontforgebefore 20230101-6.120230101-6.1
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Desktop Applications 15 SP6fontforgebefore 20200314-150200.3.9.120200314-150200.3.9.1
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Desktop Applications 15 SP6fontforgebefore 20200314-150200.3.9.120200314-150200.3.9.1

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2019-15785FontForge 20190813 through 20190820 has a buffer overflow in PrefsUI_LoadPrefs in prefs.c.
    40Plan
  • CVE-2020-5496FontForge 20190801 has a heap-based buffer overflow in the Type2NotDefSplines() function in splinesave.c.
    36Monitor
  • CVE-2020-5395FontForge 20190801 has a use-after-free in SFD_GetFontMetaData in sfd.c.
    36Monitor
  • CVE-2025-15280FontForge SFD File Parsing Use-After-Free Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
    35Monitor
  • CVE-2025-15275FontForge SFD File Parsing Heap-based Buffer Overflow Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
    35Monitor
  • CVE-2025-15274FontForge SFD File Parsing Heap-based Buffer Overflow Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
    35Monitor

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

Product / packageFixed versionSource
debian:fontforge1:20201107~dfsg-1 · Debian:12Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:fontforge20200314-150200.3.9.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.6Package registry (OSV)
suse:fontforge20200314-150200.3.9.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Desktop Applications 15 SP6Package registry (OSV)

Exploit status

No known public exploit

No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

No dated events beyond publication.

EPSS, last 120 days

FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).

Patch and commit links

Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.

No commit or PR link among the references.

Finders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.

No credits in the CNA record.

Variant candidates

Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.

No nightly-computed relations.

Chain candidates

An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.

—

Bug bounty scope

No known public program.

Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
  • No account or password is required.
  • A user must open a link or visit a page.
  • No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.

If successful

Confidentiality
high · data can be read
Integrity
high · data or configuration can be modified
Availability
high · the service can be disrupted
Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality impact
High
Integrity impact
High
Availability impact
High

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

nvd-primary

Change log

  1. Fix✗ → ✓

For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →

References

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

All records