CVE-2017-11171
Bad reference counting in the context of accept_ice_connection() in gsm-xsmp-server.c in old...
Bad reference counting in the context of accept_ice_connection() in gsm-xsmp-server.c in old versions of gnome-session up until version 2.29.92 allows a local attacker to establish ICE connections to gnome-session with invalid authentication data (an invalid magic cookie). Each failed authentication attempt will leak a file descriptor in gnome-session. When the maximum number of file descriptors is exhausted in the gnome-session process, it will enter an infinite loop trying to communicate without success, consuming 100% of the CPU. The graphical session associated with the gnome-session process will stop working correctly, because communication with gnome-session is no longer possible.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- Low
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
NVD Score used
5.5
Bad reference counting in the context of accept_ice_connection() in gsm-xsmp-server.c in old versions of gnome-session up until version 2.29.92 allows a local attacker to establish ICE connections to gnome-session with invalid authentication data (an invalid magic cookie). Each failed authentication attempt will leak a file descriptor in gnome-session. When the maximum number of file descriptors is exhausted in the gnome-session process, it will enter an infinite loop trying to communicate without success, consuming 100% of the CPU. The graphical session associated with the gnome-session process will stop working correctly, because communication with gnome-session is no longer possible.
- Record
CVE-2017-11171- CVSS 3.0
- 5.5 Medium
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H - CVSS 2.0
- 4.9 Medium
AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:C - Weakness
- CWE-835
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
CVE List No score
Bad reference counting in the context of accept_ice_connection() in gsm-xsmp-server.c in old versions of gnome-session up until version 2.29.92 allows a local attacker to establish ICE connections to gnome-session with invalid authentication data (an invalid magic cookie). Each failed authentication attempt will leak a file descriptor in gnome-session. When the maximum number of file descriptors is exhausted in the gnome-session process, it will enter an infinite loop trying to communicate without success, consuming 100% of the CPU. The graphical session associated with the gnome-session process will stop working correctly, because communication with gnome-session is no longer possible.
- Record
CVE-2017-11171- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2017-2806 No score
Bad reference counting in the context of accept_ice_connection() in gsm-xsmp-server.c in old versions of gnome-session up until version 2.29.92 allows a local attacker to establish ICE connections to gnome-session with invalid authentication data (an invalid magic cookie). Each failed authentication attempt will leak a file descriptor in gnome-session. When the maximum number of file descriptors is exhausted in the gnome-session process, it will enter an infinite loop trying to communicate without success, consuming 100% of the CPU. The graphical session associated with the gnome-session process will stop working correctly, because communication with gnome-session is no longer possible.
- Record
EUVD-2017-2806- Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-9rpj-3fh9-94x5
5.5
Bad reference counting in the context of accept_ice_connection() in gsm-xsmp-server.c in old...
Bad reference counting in the context of accept_ice_connection() in gsm-xsmp-server.c in old versions of gnome-session up until version 2.29.92 allows a local attacker to establish ICE connections to gnome-session with invalid authentication data (an invalid magic cookie). Each failed authentication attempt will leak a file descriptor in gnome-session. When the maximum number of file descriptors is exhausted in the gnome-session process, it will enter an infinite loop trying to communicate without success, consuming 100% of the CPU. The graphical session associated with the gnome-session process will stop working correctly, because communication with gnome-session is no longer possible.
- Record
GHSA-9rpj-3fh9-94x5- CVSS 3.0
- 5.5 Medium
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-835
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
5.5
Bad reference counting in the context of accept_ice_connection() in gsm-xsmp-server.c in old versions of gnome-session up until version 2.29.92 allows a local attacker to establish ICE connections to gnome-session with invalid authentication data (an invalid magic cookie). Each failed authentication attempt will leak a file descriptor in gnome-session. When the maximum number of file descriptors is exhausted in the gnome-session process, it will enter an infinite loop trying to communicate without success, consuming 100% of the CPU. The graphical session associated with the gnome-session process will stop working correctly, because communication with gnome-session is no longer possible.
- Record
CVE-2017-11171- CVSS 3.0
- 5.5 Medium
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVDEBIAN-CVE-2017-11171
5.5
Bad reference counting in the context of accept_ice_connection() in gsm-xsmp-server.c in old versions of gnome-session up until version 2.29.92 allows a local attacker to establish ICE connections to gnome-session with invalid authentication data (an invalid magic cookie). Each failed authentication attempt will leak a file descriptor in gnome-session. When the maximum number of file descriptors is exhausted in the gnome-session process, it will enter an infinite loop trying to communicate without success, consuming 100% of the CPU. The graphical session associated with the gnome-session process will stop working correctly, because communication with gnome-session is no longer possible.
- Record
DEBIAN-CVE-2017-11171- CVSS 3.0
- 5.5 Medium
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVSUSE-SU-2017:2173-1 No score
Security update for gnome-session
This update for gnome-session fixes the following issues:
- CVE-2017-11171: Fix a denial of service condition. an unauthenticated local user can create ICE connections, causing a file descriptor leak in gnome-session (bsc#1048274).
- Record
SUSE-SU-2017:2173-1- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
gnome-sessionDebian:12 |
before 2.30.0-1 | 2.30.0-1 |
gnome-sessionDebian:13 |
before 2.30.0-1 | 2.30.0-1 |
gnome-sessionDebian:14 |
before 2.30.0-1 | 2.30.0-1 |
gnome-sessionSUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 11 SP4 |
before 2.28.0-3.11.12.2 | 2.28.0-3.11.12.2 |
gnome-sessionSUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 11 SP4 |
before 2.28.0-3.11.12.2 | 2.28.0-3.11.12.2 |
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-2017-11171 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 5.5) in Gnome Gnome-session, published July 11, 2017. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.32%, the 25th percentile. Fixed in gnome-session 2.30.0-1.
References
bugzilla.suse.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1025068
github.com/GNOME/gnome-session/commit/b0dc999e0b45355314616321dbb6cb71e729fc9d
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-11171
github.com/advisories/GHSA-9rpj-3fh9-94x5
security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2017-11171
suse.com/support/update/announcement/2017/suse-su-20172173-1
bugzilla.suse.com/1048274
suse.com/security/cve/CVE-2017-11171