CVE-2017-15906
MEDIUMEPSS 88th pctlDescription
The process_open function in sftp-server.c in OpenSSH before 7.6 does not properly prevent write operations in readonly mode, which allows attackers to create zero-length files.
How to fix
TridentStack Control can deploy fixes like this automatically across your Windows, macOS, and Linux fleet. See how it works
Remediation is compiled from vendor and distribution security advisories. Always confirm against the linked source for your exact version and platform.
CVSS v3 Vector
Exploitability
Impact
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N
Exploit Intelligence
Elevated risk: more likely to be exploited than 88% of all known CVEs.
References
Related Vulnerabilities
Other CWE-732 (Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource) vulnerabilities, ordered by exploit likelihood. View all
| CVE | Severity | CVSS | EPSS | Exploited | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2011-3923 | Critical | 9.8 | 89% | - | Fix |
| CVE-2018-15379 | Critical | 9.8 | 86% | - | - |
| CVE-2018-1000207 | High | 7.2 | 64% | - | - |
| CVE-2023-32986 | High | 8.8 | 61% | - | - |
| CVE-2021-44521 | Critical | 9.1 | 55% | - | Fix |
| CVE-2018-13374 | Medium | 4.3 | 38% | KEV + Ransom | Fix |
Common questions
How do I fix CVE-2017-15906?
Published advisories record a fix for 13 affected products. The "How to fix" section on this page lists the fixed version and source advisory for each one, so apply the entry matching what you actually run.
Is CVE-2017-15906 being actively exploited?
Not that we know of. CVE-2017-15906 is not in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. Its EPSS score of 3.4% is the estimated probability that it will be exploited in the next 30 days. That is higher than 88% of all scored CVEs.
How severe is CVE-2017-15906?
CVE-2017-15906 has a CVSS v3 base score of 5.3, rated medium. CVSS rates the technical impact if the vulnerability is exploited, not how likely that is, so weigh it alongside the exploit-prediction score when you decide what to patch first.
What does CVE-2017-15906 affect?
Published advisories record a fix for openssh (Amazon), openssh-askpass (Amazon), openssh-cavs (Amazon), openssh-clients (Amazon), and 9 more. Only products with a sourced advisory are listed, so treat this as what we can cite rather than a complete inventory.
Embed a live status badge for CVE-2017-15906
Markdown
[](https://tridentstack.com/cve/CVE-2017-15906)HTML
<a href="https://tridentstack.com/cve/CVE-2017-15906"><img src="https://tridentstack.com/cve/badge/CVE-2017-15906.svg" alt="CVE-2017-15906"></a>Check your Linux endpoints for this class of vulnerability
TridentStack Control continuously scans Linux endpoints for known vulnerabilities and deploys the fixes from the same console. 200 endpoints free forever, no credit card.
This product uses NVD data but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. EPSS scores courtesy of FIRST.org (https://www.first.org/epss). Source: CISA KEV Catalog. Data as of 2026-06-17.