Vulnerability Monitor

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CVE-2017-18342

In PyYAML before 5.1, the yaml.load() API could execute arbitrary code if used with untrusted data. The load() function has been deprecated in version 5.1 and the 'UnsafeLoader' has been introduced for backward compatibility with the function.

Security Impact Summary

This vulnerability carries a CRITICAL severity rating with a CVSS v3.1 score of 9.8, indicating it can be exploited remotely over the network with relatively low complexity without requiring user interaction and does not require pre-existing privileges . The vulnerability impacts confidentiality (data exposure), integrity (unauthorized modifications), and availability (service disruption) for affected systems. Impacting 2 products from pyyaml, from fedoraproject organizations running these solutions should prioritize assessment and patching.

Historical Context

First disclosed in 2018, this vulnerability was reported during a period defined by widespread IoT adoption challenges, mobile security concerns, and the emergence of advanced persistent threat (APT) techniques. Contemporary mitigation strategies focused on secure development practices and third-party component vetting.

Published

2018-06-27T12:29:00.210

Last Modified

2024-11-21T03:19:53.020

Status

Modified

Source

[email protected]

Severity

CVSSv3.1: 9.8 (CRITICAL)

CVSSv2 Vector

AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P

Access Vector: NETWORK
Access Complexity: LOW
Authentication: NONE
Confidentiality Impact: PARTIAL
Integrity Impact: PARTIAL
Availability Impact: PARTIAL

Exploitability Score

10.0

Impact Score

6.4

Weaknesses

Type: Primary
CWE-502

Affected Vendors & Products

Type	Vendor	Product	Version/Range	Vulnerable?
Application	pyyaml	pyyaml	< 5.1	Yes
Operating System	fedoraproject	fedora	28	Yes
Operating System	fedoraproject	fedora	29	Yes
Operating System	fedoraproject	fedora	30	Yes

References

https://github.com/marshmallow-code/apispec/issues/278 Third Party Advisory ([email protected])
https://github.com/yaml/pyyaml/blob/master/CHANGES Release Notes, Third Party Advisory ([email protected])
https://github.com/yaml/pyyaml/issues/193 Third Party Advisory ([email protected])
https://github.com/yaml/pyyaml/pull/74 Patch, Third Party Advisory ([email protected])
https://github.com/yaml/pyyaml/wiki/PyYAML-yaml.load%28input%29-Deprecation ([email protected])
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/JEX7IPV5P2QJITAMA5Z63GQCZA5I6NVZ/ ([email protected])
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/KSQQMRUQSXBSUXLCRD3TSZYQ7SEZRKCE/ ([email protected])
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/M6JCFGEIEOFMWWIXGHSELMKQDD4CV2BA/ ([email protected])
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202003-45 Third Party Advisory ([email protected])
https://github.com/marshmallow-code/apispec/issues/278 Third Party Advisory (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
https://github.com/yaml/pyyaml/blob/master/CHANGES Release Notes, Third Party Advisory (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
https://github.com/yaml/pyyaml/issues/193 Third Party Advisory (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
https://github.com/yaml/pyyaml/pull/74 Patch, Third Party Advisory (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
https://github.com/yaml/pyyaml/wiki/PyYAML-yaml.load%28input%29-Deprecation (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/JEX7IPV5P2QJITAMA5Z63GQCZA5I6NVZ/ (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/KSQQMRUQSXBSUXLCRD3TSZYQ7SEZRKCE/ (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/M6JCFGEIEOFMWWIXGHSELMKQDD4CV2BA/ (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202003-45 Third Party Advisory (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)

How SecUtils Interprets This CVE

SecUtils normalizes and enriches National Vulnerability Database (NVD) records by standardizing vendor and product identifiers, aggregating vulnerability metadata from both NVD and MITRE sources, and providing structured context for security teams. For pyyaml's affected products, we extract Common Platform Enumeration (CPE) data, Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) classifications, CVSS severity metrics, and reference data to enable rapid vulnerability prioritization and asset correlation. This record contains no exploit code, proof-of-concept instructions, or attack methodologies—only defensive intelligence necessary for patch management, risk assessment, and security operations.