CVE-2017-8540
Published 2017-05-26 · Updated 2026-06-17 · Source secure@microsoft.com
Summary
CVE-2017-8540 is a high-severity (CVSS 7.8) vulnerability in Microsoft Malware Protection Engine. CISA added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on March 3, 2022, which means exploitation in the wild has been confirmed; US federal agencies had to remediate it by March 24, 2022. CISA does not currently list it as used in ransomware campaigns. Microsoft has 390 vulnerabilities in the KEV catalog, 117 of them linked to ransomware.
All 390 known-exploited Microsoft vulnerabilities →Description
The Microsoft Malware Protection Engine running on Microsoft Forefront and Microsoft Defender on Microsoft Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 Gold and R2, Windows RT 8.1, Windows 10 Gold, 1511, 1607, and 1703, and Windows Server 2016, Microsoft Exchange Server 2013 and 2016, does not properly scan a specially crafted file leading to memory corruption. aka "Microsoft Malware Protection Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability", a different vulnerability than CVE-2017-8538 and CVE-2017-8541.
CVSS vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CISA Known-Exploited Vulnerability
Product: Microsoft — Malware Protection Engine
Name: Microsoft Malware Protection Engine Improper Restriction of Operations Vulnerability
Date added: 2022-03-03 · Due: 2022-03-24
Required action: Apply updates per vendor instructions.
References
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/98703
- http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1038571
- https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2017-8540
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/42088/
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/98703
- http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1038571
- https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2017-8540
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/42088/

