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CVE-2017-18266· NVD / CVE Program· CNA mitre

The open_envvar function in xdg-open in xdg-utils before 1.1.3 does not validate strings before launching the program specified by the BROWS

The open_envvar function in xdg-open in xdg-utils before 1.1.3 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, as demonstrated by %s in this environment variable.

HighCVSS 8.8 · v3.0—No exploit Fix available
Published
May 10, 2018
Updated
Jun 16, 2026
EPSS
2.5% · 84th percentile
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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 · 2.5%

Affected systems

VendorProduct
freedesktopxdg-utils
debiandebian linux
canonicalubuntu linux

Affected versions

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

  • canonical ubuntu linux14.04
  • canonical ubuntu linux16.04
  • canonical ubuntu linux17.10
  • canonical ubuntu linux18.04
  • debian debian linux7.0
  • debian debian linux8.0
  • debian debian linux9.0
  • freedesktop xdg-utilsbefore 1.1.3

Package-level exposure

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

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Debian:12xdg-utilsbefore 1.1.3-11.1.3-1
Debian:7xdg-utilsbefore 1.1.0~rc1+git20111210-6+deb7u41.1.0~rc1+git20111210-6+deb7u4
Debian:8xdg-utilsbefore 1.1.0~rc1+git20111210-7.4+deb8u11.1.0~rc1+git20111210-7.4+deb8u1
Debian:9xdg-utilsbefore 1.1.1-1+deb9u11.1.1-1+deb9u1
openSUSE:Tumbleweedxdg-utilsbefore 1.1.3+20201113-1.21.1.3+20201113-1.2
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 SP3xdg-utilsbefore 20140630-6.3.120140630-6.3.1

Same product

freedesktop: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2022-4055When xdg-mail is configured to use thunderbird for mailto URLs, improper parsing of the URL can lead to additional headers being passed to t
    29Monitor
  • CVE-2009-0068Interaction error in xdg-open allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by sending a file with a dangerous MIME type but using a saf
    28Monitor
  • CVE-2020-27748A flaw was found in the xdg-email component of xdg-utils-1.1.0-rc1 and newer.
    26Monitor
  • CVE-2025-52968xdg-open in xdg-utils through 1.2.1 can send requests containing SameSite=Strict cookies, which can facilitate CSRF.
    10Monitor

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:xdg-utils1.1.3-1 · Debian:12Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:xdg-utils1.1.3+20201113-1.2 · openSUSE:TumbleweedPackage registry (OSV)
suse:xdg-utils20140630-6.3.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 SP3Package 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.

Credits

All researchers

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

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-74 · Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component ('Injection')

CVSS vector

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

nvd-primary

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

Noroxi analysis

No Noroxi analysis for this record yet

We don't hand-write analysis for all 385,000+ vulnerabilities; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.

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Change log

  1. Fix✗ → ✓

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References

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

All records