CVE-2017-17562

HIGH KEV NUCLEI

Embedthis GoAhead <3.6.5 - Remote Code Execution

Title source: nuclei
STIX 2.1

Exploitation Summary

CVE-2017-17562 is actively exploited and listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added December 10, 2021. EIP tracks 9 public exploits from researchers including Metasploit, Daniel Hodson, ivanitlearning, including a Metasploit module exploits/linux/http/goahead_ldpreload. A Nuclei detection template is also available.

AI-analyzed exploit summary This Metasploit module exploits CVE-2017-17562, a vulnerability in GoAhead web server that allows arbitrary shared library loading via LD_PRELOAD. It supports multiple architectures and payload types, including reverse and bind shells.

Description

Embedthis GoAhead before 3.6.5 allows remote code execution if CGI is enabled and a CGI program is dynamically linked. This is a result of initializing the environment of forked CGI scripts using untrusted HTTP request parameters in the cgiHandler function in cgi.c. When combined with the glibc dynamic linker, this behaviour can be abused for remote code execution using special parameter names such as LD_PRELOAD. An attacker can POST their shared object payload in the body of the request, and reference it using /proc/self/fd/0.

Exploits (9)

exploitdb WORKING POC VERIFIED
by Metasploit · rubyremotemultiple
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/43877

This Metasploit module exploits CVE-2017-17562, a vulnerability in GoAhead web server that allows arbitrary shared library loading via LD_PRELOAD. It supports multiple architectures and payload types, including reverse and bind shells.

Classification
Working Poc 100%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: GoAhead Web Server versions 2.5 to 5.0.0
No auth needed
Prerequisites: CGI module enabled on the target server
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
exploitdb WORKING POC VERIFIED
by Daniel Hodson · pythonremotelinux
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/43360

This exploit targets CVE-2017-17562, a remote code execution vulnerability in GoAhead httpd versions 2.5 to 3.6.5. It leverages LD_PRELOAD environment variable injection via CGI scripts to execute arbitrary shared objects.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: GoAhead httpd 2.5 to 3.6.5
No auth needed
Prerequisites: CGI scripting enabled on the target server · Access to a CGI script path
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 9 stars
by ivanitlearning · remote
https://github.com/ivanitlearning/CVE-2017-17562

This is a Python 3 exploit for CVE-2017-17562, targeting GoAhead web server versions 2.5 to 3.6.5. It automates the discovery of vulnerable CGI endpoints and delivers a malicious ELF shared object payload via LD_PRELOAD injection to achieve remote code execution.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: GoAhead web server 2.5 < 3.6.5
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Target running vulnerable GoAhead web server · Network access to the target · Pre-generated malicious ELF shared object payload
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 7 stars
by nu11pointer · remote
https://github.com/nu11pointer/goahead-rce-exploit

This is a functional exploit for CVE-2017-17562, targeting GoAhead Web Server versions < 3.6.5. It leverages the LD_PRELOAD environment variable injection via CGI scripts to achieve remote code execution by sending a malicious shared object payload.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: GoAhead Web Server < 3.6.5
No auth needed
Prerequisites: CGI enabled on the target server · A dynamically linked CGI program · Ability to generate a malicious .so payload
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 1 stars
by joaomagfreitas · poc
https://github.com/joaomagfreitas/bash-CVE-2017-17562

This repository provides a Bash-based PoC for CVE-2017-17562, a vulnerability in GoAhead web server. It uses curl to craft HTTP requests and requires a crafted payload for exploitation.

Classification
Working Poc 90%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: GoAhead Web Server
No auth needed
Prerequisites: curl · vulnerable GoAhead web server · crafted payload
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 1 stars
by 1337g · remote
https://github.com/1337g/CVE-2017-17562

This is a functional exploit for CVE-2017-17562, targeting GoAhead httpd versions 2.5 to 3.6.5. It leverages the LD_PRELOAD environment variable injection vulnerability to achieve remote code execution by sending a malicious shared object payload via a crafted POST request to a CGI script.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: GoAhead httpd 2.5 to 3.6.5
No auth needed
Prerequisites: CGI scripting must be enabled on the target server · Knowledge of a valid CGI script name or ability to brute-force it
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC
by crispy-peppers · remote
https://github.com/crispy-peppers/Goahead-CVE-2017-17562

This repository contains a reverse shell PoC for CVE-2017-17562, targeting the Goahead web server. The exploit leverages a constructor function to establish a reverse shell connection to a remote address and port, executing /bin/bash upon connection.

Classification
Working Poc 90%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: GoAhead Web Server
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Remote address and port defined (REMOTE_ADDR, REMOTE_PORT) · Compilation of the C code · Execution context on the target system
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
vulncheck_xdb WORKING POC
remote
https://github.com/freitzzz/bash-CVE-2017-17562

This repository provides a Bash-based PoC for CVE-2017-17562, a vulnerability in GoAhead web server. It crafts HTTP requests using curl to exploit the vulnerability and requires a crafted payload to achieve remote code execution.

Classification
Working Poc 90%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: GoAhead Web Server
No auth needed
Prerequisites: curl · crafted payload (e.g., payload.so) · list of vulnerable CGI endpoints (optional)
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 25, 2026 Full analysis →
metasploit WORKING POC EXCELLENT
rubypoclinux
https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/exploits/linux/http/goahead_ldpreload.rb

This Metasploit module exploits CVE-2017-17562 in GoAhead web server by leveraging the LD_PRELOAD vulnerability to load arbitrary shared libraries via CGI scripts. It supports multiple architectures and payload types, including reverse and bind shells.

Classification
Working Poc 100%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: GoAhead Web Server versions 2.5 to 5.0.0 with CGI module enabled
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Target must have CGI module enabled · Access to a CGI script path on the GoAhead server
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →

Nuclei Templates (1)

Embedthis GoAhead <3.6.5 - Remote Code Execution
HIGHby geeknik
Shodan: cpe:"cpe:2.3:a:embedthis:goahead"

References (9)

Core 9
Core References
Broken Link, Third Party Advisory x_refsource_misc
https://github.com/elttam/advisories/tree/master/CVE-2017-17562
Broken Link, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry vdb-entry x_refsource_sectrack
http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1040702
Broken Link, Exploit, Patch, Third Party Advisory x_refsource_misc
https://www.elttam.com.au/blog/goahead/
Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry exploit x_refsource_exploit-db
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/43360/
Patch, Third Party Advisory x_refsource_confirm
http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/security-advisory/cpuapr2018-3678067.html
Broken Link, Patch, Third Party Advisory x_refsource_misc
https://github.com/embedthis/goahead/commit/6f786c123196eb622625a920d54048629a7caa74
Broken Link, Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory x_refsource_misc
https://github.com/embedthis/goahead/issues/249
Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry exploit x_refsource_exploit-db
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/43877/

Scores

CVSS v3 8.1
EPSS 0.9427
EPSS Percentile 99.9%
Attack Vector NETWORK
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CISA SSVC

Vulnrichment
Exploitation active
Automatable no
Technical Impact total

Details

CISA KEV 2021-12-10
VulnCheck KEV 2020-12-14
InTheWild.io 2021-12-10
ENISA EUVD EUVD-2017-8720
Status published
Products (3)
embedthis/goahead < 3.6.5
oracle/integrated_lights_out_manager 3.0
oracle/integrated_lights_out_manager 4.0
Published Dec 12, 2017
KEV Added Dec 10, 2021
Tracked Since Feb 18, 2026