CVE-2017-14681: The daemon in P3Scan 3.0_rc1 and earlier creates a p3scan.pid file after dropping privileges to a non-root acc

Q: How do I fix CVE-2017-14681?

p3scan: upgrade to newer than 3.0. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Q: Is CVE-2017-14681 being exploited?

CVE-2017-14681 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.

Q: What does CVE-2017-14681 affect?

CVE-2017-14681 affects p3scan. Severity is medium (CVSS 5.5). The daemon in P3Scan 3.0_rc1 and earlier creates a p3scan.pid file after dropping privileges to a non-root account, which might allow local users to kill arbitrary processes by leveraging access to this non-root account for p3scan.pid modif

Q: How urgent is CVE-2017-14681?

Priority 25/100. No elevated risk signals yet.

Routine

MEDIUM 5.5UPGRADE

CVE-2017-14681 is a medium-severity flaw (CVSS 5.5) affecting p3scan. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

The daemon in P3Scan 3.0_rc1 and earlier creates a p3scan.pid file after dropping privileges to a non-root account, which might allow local users to kill arbitrary processes by leveraging access to this non-root account for p3scan.pid modification before a root script executes a "kill `cat /pathname/p3scan.pid`" command, as demonstrated by etc/init.d/p3scan.

Why this priority

No elevated risk signals yet

A fixed release or distro patch exists.

Risk facts

CVSS score	5.5 (Medium)
Attack vector	Local
Attack complexity	Low
Privileges needed	Low
User interaction	None
EPSS exploit chance	0.3% (top 79%)
CISA exploited list	No
Weakness	CWE-665
Published	2017-09-21
Last modified	2026-06-17

Publisher (CNA): MITRE · Vendor: p3scan project

Last updated 2026-06-17 · Sources: CVE Program, NVD, CISA KEV, EPSS and vendor advisories · How we score

Am I affected?

Timeline

2017-09-21 23:29 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-17 01:06 UTCUpdated Record last modified

p3scan project p3scan UPGRADE

Affected: <= 3.0

Fixed in: newer than 3.0

Safe to downgrade to: no unaffected older release

1. Check installed version

apt-cache policy p3scan || rpm -q p3scan || p3scan --version

2. UPGRADE to newer than 3.0 (Debian / Ubuntu)

sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade p3scan

2. UPGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

sudo dnf upgrade p3scan

Note

Distros often backport fixes without changing the version number. Confirm with the distro advisory or changelog.

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-2017-14681?

p3scan: upgrade to newer than 3.0. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Is CVE-2017-14681 being exploited?

CVE-2017-14681 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-2017-14681 affect?

CVE-2017-14681 affects p3scan. Severity is medium (CVSS 5.5). The daemon in P3Scan 3.0_rc1 and earlier creates a p3scan.pid file after dropping privileges to a non-root account, which might allow local users to kill arbitrary processes by leveraging access to this non-root account for p3scan.pid modif

How urgent is CVE-2017-14681?

Priority 25/100. No elevated risk signals yet.

References

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