CVE-2017-20201 Vulnerability Analysis & Exploit Details

CVE-2017-20201
Vulnerability Scoring

Analysis In Progress
Analysis In Progress

Attack Complexity Details

  • Attack Complexity:
    Attack Complexity Analysis In Progress
  • Attack Vector:
    Attack Vector Under Analysis
  • Privileges Required: None
    No authentication is required for exploitation.
  • Scope:
    Impact is confined to the initially vulnerable component.
  • User Interaction: None
    No user interaction is necessary for exploitation.

CVE-2017-20201 Details

Status: Received on 08 Oct 2025, 22:15 UTC

Published on: 08 Oct 2025, 22:15 UTC

CVSS Release:

CVE-2017-20201 Vulnerability Summary

CVE-2017-20201: CCleaner v5.33.6162 and CCleaner Cloud v1.07.3191 (32-bit builds) contained a malicious pre-entry-point loader that diverts execution from __scrt_common_main_seh into a custom loader. That loader decodes an embedded blob into shellcode, allocates executable heap memory, resolves Windows API functions at runtime, and transfers execution to an in-memory payload. The payload performs anti-analysis checks, gathers host telemetry, encodes the data with a two-stage obfuscation, and attempts HTTPS exfiltration to hard-coded C2 servers or month-based DGA domains. Potential impacts include remote data collection and exfiltration, stealthy in-memory execution and persistence, and potential lateral movement. CCleaner was developed by Piriform, which was acquired by Avast in July 2017; Avast later merged with NortonLifeLock to form the parent company now known as Gen Digital. According to vendor advisories, the compromised CCleaner build was released on August 15, 2017 and remediated on September 12, 2017 with v5.34; the compromised CCleaner Cloud build was released on August 24, 2017 and remediated on September 15, 2017 with v1.07.3214.

Assessing the Risk of CVE-2017-20201

Access Complexity Graph

The exploitability of CVE-2017-20201 depends on two key factors: attack complexity (the level of effort required to execute an exploit) and privileges required (the access level an attacker needs).

Exploitability Analysis for CVE-2017-20201

No exploitability data is available for CVE-2017-20201.

Understanding AC and PR

A lower complexity and fewer privilege requirements make exploitation easier. Security teams should evaluate these aspects to determine the urgency of mitigation strategies, such as patch management and access control policies.

Attack Complexity (AC) measures the difficulty in executing an exploit. A high AC means that specific conditions must be met, making an attack more challenging, while a low AC means the vulnerability can be exploited with minimal effort.

Privileges Required (PR) determine the level of system access necessary for an attack. Vulnerabilities requiring no privileges are more accessible to attackers, whereas high privilege requirements limit exploitation to authorized users with elevated access.

CVSS Score Breakdown Chart

Above is the CVSS Sub-score Breakdown for CVE-2017-20201, illustrating how Base, Impact, and Exploitability factors combine to form the overall severity rating. A higher sub-score typically indicates a more severe or easier-to-exploit vulnerability.

CIA Impact Analysis

Below is the Impact Analysis for CVE-2017-20201, showing how Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability might be affected if the vulnerability is exploited. Higher values usually signal greater potential damage.

  • Confidentiality: None
    CVE-2017-20201 does not compromise confidentiality.
  • Integrity: None
    CVE-2017-20201 does not impact data integrity.
  • Availability: None
    CVE-2017-20201 does not affect system availability.

CVE-2017-20201 References

External References

CWE Common Weakness Enumeration

CWE-506

CAPEC Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification

  • Infected Software CAPEC-442 An adversary adds malicious logic, often in the form of a computer virus, to otherwise benign software. This logic is often hidden from the user of the software and works behind the scenes to achieve negative impacts. Many times, the malicious logic is inserted into empty space between legitimate code, and is then called when the software is executed. This pattern of attack focuses on software already fielded and used in operation as opposed to software that is still under development and part of the supply chain.
  • Embed Virus into DLL CAPEC-448 An adversary tampers with a DLL and embeds a computer virus into gaps between legitimate machine instructions. These gaps may be the result of compiler optimizations that pad memory blocks for performance gains. The embedded virus then attempts to infect any machine which interfaces with the product, and possibly steal private data or eavesdrop.
  • Hiding Malicious Data or Code within Files CAPEC-636 Files on various operating systems can have a complex format which allows for the storage of other data, in addition to its contents. Often this is metadata about the file, such as a cached thumbnail for an image file. Unless utilities are invoked in a particular way, this data is not visible during the normal use of the file. It is possible for an attacker to store malicious data or code using these facilities, which would be difficult to discover.

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