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Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2017-15705

🗓️ 04 Mar 2025 00:00:00Reported by TenableType 
nessus
 nessus
🔗 www.tenable.com👁 5 Views

Linux/Unix host has unpatched denial of service vulnerability in Apache SpamAssassin (CVE-2017-15705).

Related
Refs
Code
#%NASL_MIN_LEVEL 80900
##
# (C) Tenable, Inc.
##

include('compat.inc');

if (description)
{
  script_id(220670);
  script_version("1.2");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_modification_date", value:"2026/01/28");

  script_cve_id("CVE-2017-15705");

  script_name(english:"Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2017-15705");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"synopsis", value:
"The Linux/Unix host has one or more packages installed with a vulnerability that the vendor indicates will not be
patched.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"description", value:
"The Linux/Unix host has one or more packages installed that are impacted by a vulnerability without a vendor supplied
patch available.

  - A denial of service vulnerability was identified that exists in Apache SpamAssassin before 3.4.2. The
    vulnerability arises with certain unclosed tags in emails that cause markup to be handled incorrectly
    leading to scan timeouts. In Apache SpamAssassin, using HTML::Parser, we setup an object and hook into the
    begin and end tag event handlers In both cases, the open event is immediately followed by a close
    event - even if the tag *does not* close in the HTML being parsed. Because of this, we are missing the
    text event to deal with the object normally. This can cause carefully crafted emails that might take
    more scan time than expected leading to a Denial of Service. The issue is possibly a bug or design
    decision in HTML::Parser that specifically impacts the way Apache SpamAssassin uses the module with poorly
    formed html. The exploit has been seen in the wild but not believed to have been purposefully part of a
    Denial of Service attempt. We are concerned that there may be attempts to abuse the vulnerability in the
    future. (CVE-2017-15705)

Note that Nessus relies on the presence of the package as reported by the vendor.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"see_also", value:"https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/cve-2017-15705");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"solution", value:
"There is no known solution at this time.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"agent", value:"unix");
  script_set_cvss_base_vector("CVSS2#AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P");
  script_set_cvss_temporal_vector("CVSS2#E:U/RL:U/RC:C");
  script_set_cvss3_base_vector("CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L");
  script_set_cvss3_temporal_vector("CVSS:3.0/E:U/RL:U/RC:C");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cvss_score_source", value:"CVE-2017-15705");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploitability_ease", value:"No known exploits are available");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploit_available", value:"false");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"vendor_unpatched", value:"true");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"vuln_publication_date", value:"2018/09/17");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_publication_date", value:"2025/03/04");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_type", value:"local");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:5");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:6");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:spamassassin");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"generated_plugin", value:"current");
  script_end_attributes();

  script_category(ACT_GATHER_INFO);
  script_family(english:"Misc.");

  script_copyright(english:"This script is Copyright (C) 2025-2026 and is owned by Tenable, Inc. or an Affiliate thereof.");

  script_dependencies("set_linux_os_id.nasl", "ssh_get_info2.nasl");
  script_require_keys("Host/OS/identifier", "Host/cpu", "Host/local_checks_enabled", "global_settings/vendor_unpatched");
  script_require_ports("Host/OS/Red Hat Enterprise Linux-5", "Host/OS/Red Hat Enterprise Linux-6");

  exit(0);
}

if (!get_kb_item("global_settings/vendor_unpatched")) exit(0, "Unpatched Vulnerabilities Detection not active.");
if (!get_kb_item("Host/local_checks_enabled")) audit(AUDIT_LOCAL_CHECKS_NOT_ENABLED);
if (empty_or_null(get_one_kb_item("Host/RedHat/rpm-list"))) audit(AUDIT_PACKAGE_LIST_MISSING);

include('linux_unpatched.inc');

var distro_constraints_array = {
  "Red Hat Enterprise Linux-5": {
    "package_manager": "rpm-list",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "5",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "spamassassin"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "Red Hat Enterprise Linux-6": {
    "package_manager": "rpm-list",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "6",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "spamassassin"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
};

var distro_constraints_values = linux_unpatched::get_distro_constraints(distro_constraints_arr:distro_constraints_array);
if (empty_or_null(distro_constraints_values)) audit(AUDIT_HOST_NOT, 'affected');
var report = linux_unpatched::check_unpatched_constraints(distro_constraints_values:distro_constraints_values);

if (!empty_or_null(report))
{
  security_report_v4(
      port       : 0,
      severity   : SECURITY_WARNING,
      extra      : report
  );
  exit(0);
}
else
{
  audit(AUDIT_HOST_NOT, 'affected');
}

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28 Jan 2026 00:00Current
6.7Medium risk
Vulners AI Score6.7
CVSS 25
CVSS 35.3
EPSS0.01771
5