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Vulnerability record · CVE-2017-6542 · published 27 March 2017

CVE-2017-6542: Putty memory buffer overflow vulnerability

Putty · Putty

The ssh_agent_channel_data function in PuTTY before 0.68 allows remote attackers to have unspecified impact via a large length value in an agent protocol message and leveraging the ability to connect to the Unix-domain socket representing the forwarded agent connection, which trigger a buffer overflow.

9.8 CVSS 3.0 Critical EPSS 22% · top 2.4% CWE-119 · Memory buffer overflow
9.8CVSS 3.0 base score, v2 7.5
22%EPSS exploitation probability, 30 days
NoNot in CISA KEV
3Affected product versions listed by NVD
16References
17 Jun 2026Last modified by NVD

Description

The ssh_agent_channel_data function in PuTTY before 0.68 allows remote attackers to have unspecified impact via a large length value in an agent protocol message and leveraging the ability to connect to the Unix-domain socket representing the forwarded agent connection, which trigger a buffer overflow.

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

Affected products

3 vulnerable configurations from NVD's CPE data, grouped by vendor and product.

References

LinkTags
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-updates/2017-03/msg00055.html Third Party Advisory
http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/wishlist/vuln-agent-fwd-overflow.html PatchVendor Advisory
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/97156 Third Party AdvisoryVDB Entry
http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1038067
https://git.tartarus.org/?p=simon/putty.git%3Ba=commitdiff%3Bh=4ff22863d895cb7ebfced4cf923a012a614adaa8
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201703-03 Third Party AdvisoryVDB Entry
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201706-09
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/42137/
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-updates/2017-03/msg00055.html Third Party Advisory
http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/wishlist/vuln-agent-fwd-overflow.html PatchVendor Advisory
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/97156 Third Party AdvisoryVDB Entry
http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1038067
https://git.tartarus.org/?p=simon/putty.git%3Ba=commitdiff%3Bh=4ff22863d895cb7ebfced4cf923a012a614adaa8
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201703-03 Third Party AdvisoryVDB Entry
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201706-09
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/42137/

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Source: NIST National Vulnerability Database (record CVE-2017-6542), CISA KEV, FIRST EPSS (scores of 2026-09-26). This page is refreshed as NVD updates the record.