CVE-2008-7017: Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in analyse.php in CAcert 20080921, and possibly other versions before

Routine

MEDIUM 4.3DOWNGRADE

CVE-2008-7017 is a medium-severity flaw (CVSS 4.3) affecting cacert. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in analyse.php in CAcert 20080921, and possibly other versions before 20080928, allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the CN (CommonName) field in the subject of an X.509 certificate.

Why this priority

Public exploit reference

No fix is published yet: follow the downgrade or mitigation steps.

Risk facts

CVSS score	4.3 (Medium)
EPSS exploit chance	0.9% (top 40%)
CISA exploited list	No
Weakness	CWE-79
Published	2009-08-21
Last modified	2026-06-16

Publisher (CNA): MITRE · Vendor: cacert

Last updated 2026-06-16 · Sources: CVE Program, NVD, CISA KEV, EPSS and vendor advisories · How we score

Am I affected?

Timeline

2009-08-21 14:30 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-16 23:03 UTCUpdated Record last modified

cacert cacert DOWNGRADE

Affected: 20080921

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 20080921

1. Check installed version

apt-cache policy cacert || rpm -q cacert || cacert --version

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE to a release before 20080921 (Debian / Ubuntu)

apt-cache madison cacert sudo apt install cacert=<VERSION_BEFORE_20080921> sudo apt-mark hold cacert

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

dnf --showduplicates list cacert sudo dnf downgrade cacert-<VERSION_BEFORE_20080921> sudo dnf versionlock add cacert

Downgrade risk

Downgrading can break dependent software and may reopen older bugs. Read the distro advisory first and test on a non-production host.

After downgrade

Restart the service, and keep the package held until a fixed release ships.

Public exploits and detection

Public code exists for this CVE. Treat unpatched systems as at risk, and only run PoCs in a lab.

Exploit-DB: CAcert - 'analyse.php' Cross-Site Scripting

Verify at the official source NVD · CVE Program · Report a problem with this page
Scores and fixes here are computed automatically from those and other public sources. Confirm with the vendor advisory before changing production systems.

Quick answers

How do I fix CVE-2008-7017?

cacert: downgrade or apply the listed mitigation. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Is CVE-2008-7017 being exploited?

CVE-2008-7017 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.

What does CVE-2008-7017 affect?

CVE-2008-7017 affects cacert. Severity is medium (CVSS 4.3). Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in analyse.php in CAcert 20080921, and possibly other versions before 20080928, allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the CN (CommonName) field in the subject of an X.509

How urgent is CVE-2008-7017?

Priority 35/100. Public exploit reference

Software pages

PHP vulnerabilities

References

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