CVE-2017-20161

Command execution via unsanitized ESSID terminal escapes

Published Jan 2, 2023 · Updated Aug 5, 2024

Terminal escape injection in rofl0r MacGeiger before 2017-12-02 allows physically proximate attackers to execute commands via a crafted ESSID. The dump_wlan_at function passes a captured ESSID directly to console_printf, causing the ncurses terminal to interpret embedded control sequences rather than inert text. Exploitation requires a nearby malicious access point and a user running the ncurses backend while MacGeiger processes beacon frames, resulting in command execution under that user's account.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.50%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Terminal escape injection in rofl0r MacGeiger before 2017-12-02 allows physically proximate attackers to execute commands via a crafted ESSID. The dump_wlan_at function passes a captured ESSID directly to console_printf, causing the ncurses terminal to interpret embedded control sequences rather than inert text. Exploitation requires a nearby malicious access point and a user running the ncurses backend while MacGeiger processes beacon frames, resulting in command execution under that user's account.

The record

CVE
CVE-2017-20161
Published
Jan 2, 2023
Updated
Aug 5, 2024
Vendor
rofl0r
Product
MacGeiger
Classifications
CWE-74, T1203
Attack vector
adjacent
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jan 2, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 5, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

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  1. Affected versionversion=n/a

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectoradjacent
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

rofl0r · MacGeigerversion=n/a

Published CVSS scores

4.6VulDBCVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L
7.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.3VulDBAV:A/AC:H/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectoradjacent
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-74Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component ('Injection')
T1203Exploitation for Client Execution

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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