CVE-2017-6590
An issue was discovered in network-manager-applet (aka network-manager-gnome) in Ubuntu 12.04 LTS...
An issue was discovered in network-manager-applet (aka network-manager-gnome) in Ubuntu 12.04 LTS, 14.04 LTS, 16.04 LTS, and 16.10. A local attacker could use this issue at the default Ubuntu login screen to access local files and execute arbitrary commands as the lightdm user. The exploitation requires physical access to the locked computer and the Wi-Fi must be turned on. An access point that lets you use a certificate to login is required as well, but it's easy to create one. Then, it's possible to open a nautilus window and browse directories. One also can open some applications such as Firefox, which is useful for downloading malicious binaries.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Physical
- Complexity
- High
- Privileges needed
- Low
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
NVD Score used
6.3
An issue was discovered in network-manager-applet (aka network-manager-gnome) in Ubuntu 12.04 LTS, 14.04 LTS, 16.04 LTS, and 16.10. A local attacker could use this issue at the default Ubuntu login screen to access local files and execute arbitrary commands as the lightdm user. The exploitation requires physical access to the locked computer and the Wi-Fi must be turned on. An access point that lets you use a certificate to login is required as well, but it's easy to create one. Then, it's possible to open a nautilus window and browse directories. One also can open some applications such as Firefox, which is useful for downloading malicious binaries.
- Record
CVE-2017-6590- CVSS 3.0
- 6.3 Medium
CVSS:3.0/AV:P/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - CVSS 2.0
- 6.9 Medium
AV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C - Weakness
- CWE-863
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
CVE List No score
An issue was discovered in network-manager-applet (aka network-manager-gnome) in Ubuntu 12.04 LTS, 14.04 LTS, 16.04 LTS, and 16.10. A local attacker could use this issue at the default Ubuntu login screen to access local files and execute arbitrary commands as the lightdm user. The exploitation requires physical access to the locked computer and the Wi-Fi must be turned on. An access point that lets you use a certificate to login is required as well, but it's easy to create one. Then, it's possible to open a nautilus window and browse directories. One also can open some applications such as Firefox, which is useful for downloading malicious binaries.
- Record
CVE-2017-6590- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2017-15645 No score
An issue was discovered in network-manager-applet (aka network-manager-gnome) in Ubuntu 12.04 LTS, 14.04 LTS, 16.04 LTS, and 16.10. A local attacker could use this issue at the default Ubuntu login screen to access local files and execute arbitrary commands as the lightdm user. The exploitation requires physical access to the locked computer and the Wi-Fi must be turned on. An access point that lets you use a certificate to login is required as well, but it's easy to create one. Then, it's possible to open a nautilus window and browse directories. One also can open some applications such as Firefox, which is useful for downloading malicious binaries.
- Record
EUVD-2017-15645- Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-wrx7-qm3p-qw79
6.3
An issue was discovered in network-manager-applet (aka network-manager-gnome) in Ubuntu 12.04 LTS...
An issue was discovered in network-manager-applet (aka network-manager-gnome) in Ubuntu 12.04 LTS, 14.04 LTS, 16.04 LTS, and 16.10. A local attacker could use this issue at the default Ubuntu login screen to access local files and execute arbitrary commands as the lightdm user. The exploitation requires physical access to the locked computer and the Wi-Fi must be turned on. An access point that lets you use a certificate to login is required as well, but it's easy to create one. Then, it's possible to open a nautilus window and browse directories. One also can open some applications such as Firefox, which is useful for downloading malicious binaries.
- Record
GHSA-wrx7-qm3p-qw79- CVSS 3.0
- 6.3 Medium
CVSS:3.0/AV:P/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-863
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
6.3
An issue was discovered in network-manager-applet (aka network-manager-gnome) in Ubuntu 12.04 LTS, 14.04 LTS, 16.04 LTS, and 16.10. A local attacker could use this issue at the default Ubuntu login screen to access local files and execute arbitrary commands as the lightdm user. The exploitation requires physical access to the locked computer and the Wi-Fi must be turned on. An access point that lets you use a certificate to login is required as well, but it's easy to create one. Then, it's possible to open a nautilus window and browse directories. One also can open some applications such as Firefox, which is useful for downloading malicious binaries.
- Record
CVE-2017-6590- CVSS 3.0
- 6.3 Medium
CVSS:3.0/AV:P/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVDEBIAN-CVE-2017-6590
6.3
An issue was discovered in network-manager-applet (aka network-manager-gnome) in Ubuntu 12.04 LTS, 14.04 LTS, 16.04 LTS, and 16.10. A local attacker could use this issue at the default Ubuntu login screen to access local files and execute arbitrary commands as the lightdm user. The exploitation requires physical access to the locked computer and the Wi-Fi must be turned on. An access point that lets you use a certificate to login is required as well, but it's easy to create one. Then, it's possible to open a nautilus window and browse directories. One also can open some applications such as Firefox, which is useful for downloading malicious binaries.
- Record
DEBIAN-CVE-2017-6590- CVSS 3.0
- 6.3 Medium
CVSS:3.0/AV:P/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVUBUNTU-CVE-2017-6590
6.3
An issue was discovered in network-manager-applet (aka network-manager-gnome) in Ubuntu 12.04 LTS, 14.04 LTS, 16.04 LTS, and 16.10. A local attacker could use this issue at the default Ubuntu login screen to access local files and execute arbitrary commands as the lightdm user. The exploitation requires physical access to the locked computer and the Wi-Fi must be turned on. An access point that lets you use a certificate to login is required as well, but it's easy to create one. Then, it's possible to open a nautilus window and browse directories. One also can open some applications such as Firefox, which is useful for downloading malicious binaries.
- Record
UBUNTU-CVE-2017-6590- CVSS 3.0
- 6.3 Medium
CVSS:3.0/AV:P/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVopenSUSE-SU-2024:10603-1 No score
NetworkManager-applet-1.24.0-1.2 on GA media
These are all security issues fixed in the NetworkManager-applet-1.24.0-1.2 package on the GA media of openSUSE Tumbleweed.
- Record
openSUSE-SU-2024:10603-1- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
network-manager-appletDebian:12 |
All versions, plus listed versions 1.30.0-21.32.0-11.32.0-21.32.0-31.34.0-1 Show 5 moreShow less1.34.0-21.36.0-11.36.0-31.36.0-41.36.0-5 |
None known |
network-manager-appletDebian:13 |
All versions, plus listed versions 1.36.0-31.36.0-41.36.0-5 |
None known |
network-manager-appletDebian:14 |
All versions, plus listed versions 1.36.0-31.36.0-41.36.0-5 |
None known |
network-manager-appletUbuntu:14.04:LTS |
before 0.9.8.8-0ubuntu4.5, plus listed versions 0.9.8.0-1ubuntu50.9.8.0-1ubuntu60.9.8.0-1ubuntu70.9.8.4-1ubuntu10.9.8.4-1ubuntu2 Show 9 moreShow less0.9.8.4-1ubuntu30.9.8.8-0ubuntu10.9.8.8-0ubuntu20.9.8.8-0ubuntu30.9.8.8-0ubuntu40.9.8.8-0ubuntu4.10.9.8.8-0ubuntu4.20.9.8.8-0ubuntu4.30.9.8.8-0ubuntu4.4 |
0.9.8.8-0ubuntu4.5 |
network-manager-appletUbuntu:16.04:LTS |
before 1.2.6-0ubuntu0.16.04.2, plus listed versions 0.9.10.1-0ubuntu71.0.4-0ubuntu11.0.6-2ubuntu21.0.6-2ubuntu31.0.6-2ubuntu4 Show 6 moreShow less1.0.10-1ubuntu11.1.93-1ubuntu11.2.0-0ubuntu0.16.04.11.2.0-0ubuntu0.16.04.31.2.0-0ubuntu0.16.04.41.2.6-0ubuntu0.16.04.1 |
1.2.6-0ubuntu0.16.04.2 |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| aliases | EUVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2017-6590 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 6.3) in Canonical Ubuntu Linux, published March 9, 2017. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.28%, the 20th percentile. Fixed in network-manager-applet 0.9.8.8-0ubuntu4.5.