CVE-2017-7494
CVE-2017-7494 is a security flaw in Samba. Attackers can run their own code on Samba. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks on 30 Mar 2023, and says ransomware gangs have used it.[1]
Samba is business software or equipment. Most families won’t have it, but attackers break into it to get inside companies, and from there to what those companies hold about their customers, patients and staff. Samba has published a fix or advice.
Description
CISA calls it a remote code execution in Samba Samba. In its words: “Samba contains a remote code execution vulnerability, allowing a malicious client to upload a shared library to a writable share and then cause the server to load and execute it.”[1]
The CVE record adds: “Samba since version 3.5.0 and before 4.6.4, 4.5.10 and 4.4.14 is vulnerable to remote code execution vulnerability, allowing a malicious client to upload a shared library to a writable share, and then cause the server to load and execute it.”[2]
The underlying weakness is code injection (CWE-94), in MITRE’s list of common software weaknesses.
It scores 9.8 out of 10 on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System, which rates it critical, scored by NVD using CVSS 3.1.[2]
Affected versions
NVD’s record doesn’t list version ranges for it; Samba’s advisory has them[3]. CISA names the product as Samba Samba.
Most families won’t have Samba; it’s for whoever looks after IT at work.
Exploitation
CISA added it to its catalog of known exploited vulnerabilities on 30 Mar 2023, 2,130 days after it was made public. CISA lists a flaw only when it has reliable evidence of it being exploited, and gave US federal agencies until 20 Apr 2023 to fix it.[1] CISA says ransomware gangs have used it.
FIRST’s Exploit Prediction Scoring System, which estimates how likely a flaw is to be used in attacks in the next 30 days from what it sees across the internet, puts it at 99%. That’s in the top 1% of the flaws it scores.[4]
CISA assesses it as automatable: attackers can run it against many targets at once.
CISA doesn’t say who was attacked, or how.
Fix
Samba has published a fix or advice.[3] CISA’s required action: “Apply updates per vendor instructions.”[1]
- Check whether you use it.Samba is business software or equipment, so most families won’t have it. If you run a business, or work from home on company equipment, ask whoever looks after your IT.
- Send this page to your IT person.Ask them to confirm it’s fixed, or not in use. CISA gave US government agencies until 20 Apr 2023 to fix it.
- If it can’t be fixed, take it offline.CISA’s advice when there’s no fix is to stop using the product, or take it off the internet, until there is one.
You can’t fix someone else’s server, but you can watch for what follows a break-in like this: a breach notice, a password reset you didn’t ask for, or a scam message that knows things it shouldn’t. HARD watches for those for you and your family.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| The flaw is made public in the National Vulnerability Database, with a severity score of 9.8.[2] | |
| CISA adds it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks, noting that ransomware gangs have used it.[1] | |
| CISA’s deadline for US government agencies to fix it.[1] | |
| FIRST puts the odds of it being used in attacks in the next 30 days at 99%.[4] |
See also
Other code injection flaws
- CVE-2026-0322, Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS: code injection ·
- CVE-2026-65660, Microsoft SharePoint: code injection ·
- CVE-2026-60004, Gitea: code injection ·
- CVE-2026-72530, TrueConf Server: code injection ·
- CVE-2025-62593, Ray-Project Ray: code injection ·
Added the same day
- CVE-2023-0266, Linux Kernel: use-after-free ·
- CVE-2022-42948, Fortra Cobalt Strike: user interface remote code execution ·
- CVE-2022-39197, Fortra Cobalt Strike: teamserver cross-site scripting (XSS) ·
- CVE-2022-38181, Arm Mali Graphics Processing Unit (GPU): mali GPU kernel driver use-after-free ·
- CVE-2022-3038, Chrome and other Chromium browsers: use-after-free ·
References
- ^ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. “Samba Remote Code Execution Vulnerability”. Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, added 30 Mar 2023.
- ^ National Institute of Standards and Technology. “CVE-2017-7494 Detail”. National Vulnerability Database, published 30 May 2017.
- ^ Samba. Advisories and fixes: samba.org.
- ^ FIRST. “Exploit Prediction Scoring System”. EPSS 0.994, percentile 99.9, 31 Oct 2026.
- CVE Program. “CVE-2017-7494”. The official CVE record.
This article is built from CISA’s catalog (version 2026.10.30), NVD’s record and FIRST’s scores, kept in HARD’s database and checked every morning. The plain English is HARD’s.