CVE-2017-12637: SAP NetWeaver exploited

Advisory generated from the CVE record, CISA, Exploit Observer and VEDAS: what it is, whether it is exploited, who is affected, and how to fix and detect it.

What it is

Directory traversal vulnerability in scheduler/ui/js/ffffffffbca41eb4/UIUtilJavaScriptJS in SAP NetWeaver Application Server Java 7.5 allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files via a .. (dot dot) in the query string, as exploited in the wild in August 2017, aka SAP Security Note 2486657.

Description quoted from the CVE record (assigned by mitre, published 2017-08-07).

Weakness: CWE-22 Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory (‘Path Traversal’)

How it can be exploited

Exploitable over the network with low attack complexity needing no privileges and no user interaction. Impact: confidentiality high, integrity none, availability none. CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

CISA assessment (SSVC): CISA assesses exploitation as active. Automatable: yes. Technical impact: partial.

On CISA KEV since: 2025-03-19
US federal deadline: 2025-04-09
Ransomware use: Not known

Public exploit evidence (Exploit Observer)

Also known as: CNNVD-201708-277, CNVD-2017-27974, EUVD-2017-4176, GHSA-5p56-56jf-wfv2

VEDAS cluster: VEDAS:BLUSTERWIND

Exploit Observer links 7 pieces of public exploit code or detection modules that name this CVE or one of its aliases.

Exploit code and modules (7)

Code that names this CVE. A repository can be a working exploit, a scanner, a fake or malware; read it before running anything.

Nuclei template: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei-templates/main/http/cves/2017/CVE-2017-12637.yaml
Code repository: https://github.com/abrewer251/cve-2017-12637_sap-netweaver-url-traversal
Code repository: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ARPSyndicate/vedas-signatures/main/nuclei/2017/CVE-2017-12637.yaml
Code repository: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ARPSyndicate/vedas-signatures/main/nuclei/2017/CVE-2017-12637.yaml
Code repository: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ARPSyndicate/vedas-signatures/main/suricata/2017/CVE-2017-12637.rules
Code repository: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ARPSyndicate/vedas-signatures/main/suricata/2017/CVE-2017-12637.rules
Code repository: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ARPSyndicate/vedas-signatures/main/suricata/2017/CVE-2017-12637.rules

Vulnerability databases and vendor advisories (6)

Catalogue entries, not exploit evidence.

Vulnerability database or vendor advisory: https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/enisa/EUVD-2017-4176
Vulnerability database or vendor advisory: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-5p56-56jf-wfv2
Vulnerability database or vendor advisory: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-12637
Vulnerability database or vendor advisory: https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2017-12637
Vulnerability database or vendor advisory: https://www.cnnvd.org.cn/home/globalSearch?keyword=CNNVD-201708-277
Vulnerability database or vendor advisory: https://www.cnvd.org.cn/flaw/show/CNVD-2017-27974

19 more references returned by Exploit Observer did not name this CVE or an alias, so they are left out.

VEDAS data as of 2026-11-01T17:12 UTC; fetched 2026-11-02.

Live scores

EPSS: 0.951
very likely to be attacked soon
VEDAS: 0.979
strong exploit evidence
On CISA KEV: Yes, since 2025-03-19
Detection rule: Nuclei · Suricata

EPSS (chance of attack)

VEDAS (exploit evidence)

Thin horizontal line: the “likely” (EPSS 0.10) or “strong” (VEDAS 0.90) threshold. Shaded “no data” areas are periods when cve-scores did not publish.

Who is affected

Product	Affected	Not affected
Not stated	version n/a	Not stated

Version ranges exactly as the CVE record states them. “Before X” means X is the first fixed version.

How to fix it

CISA required action: Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.

Vendor guidance:

How to detect it

Nuclei template (active check)

SAP NetWeaver Application Server Java - Path Traversal
Directory traversal vulnerability in scheduler/ui/js/ffffffffbca41eb4/UIUtilJavaScriptJS in SAP NetWeaver Application Server Java 7.5 allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files via a .. (dot dot) in the query string, as exploited in the wild in August 2017, aka SAP Security Note 2486657.

Name and description quoted from the template, written by VEDAS.

The template sends 1 request (GET /scheduler/ui/js/ffffffffbca41eb4/UIUtilJavaScriptJS?/..); it decides using status, word matchers. Severity in the template: high. Marked as not yet verified against a live vulnerable target.

Run it against a host you own or are authorised to test:

bash

nuclei -u https://your-host -t CVE-2017-12637.yaml

Show the template (38 lines)

yaml

id: CVE-2017-12637

info:
  name: "SAP NetWeaver Application Server Java - Path Traversal"
  author: vedas-arpsyndicate
  severity: high
  description: |
    Directory traversal vulnerability in scheduler/ui/js/ffffffffbca41eb4/UIUtilJavaScriptJS in SAP NetWeaver
    Application Server Java 7.5 allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files via a .. (dot dot) in the query
    string, as exploited in the wild in August 2017, aka SAP Security Note 2486657.
  reference:
    - https://www.exploit.observer/?keyword=CVE-2017-12637&match=exact
    - https://subdomain.center/?engine=ammonites&keyword=sap&match=exact
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
    cvss-score: 7.5
    cve-id: CVE-2017-12637
    cwe-id: CWE-22
  metadata:
    verified: false
  tags: cve2017,cve,sap,lfi,java,traversal,kev,vkev,vuln
http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{{BaseURL}}/scheduler/ui/js/ffffffffbca41eb4/UIUtilJavaScriptJS?/.."

    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: word
        part: body
        words:
          - "WEB-INF"
          - "META-INF"
        condition: and

      - type: status
        status:
          - 200

CVE-2017-12637.yaml on GitHub

Suricata rules (network detection)

1 rule that alert on traffic matching this exploit: VEDAS CVE-2017-12637 SAP NetWeaver Application Server Java - Path Traversal. Add them to your Suricata rule set and reload.

Show the rules

suricata

alert http $EXTERNAL_NET any -> $HTTP_SERVERS $HTTP_PORTS (msg:"VEDAS CVE-2017-12637 SAP NetWeaver Application Server Java - Path Traversal"; flow:established,to_server; http.method; content:"GET"; http.uri; content:"index.php"; nocase; fast_pattern; content:"passwd"; nocase; classtype:web-application-attack; reference:cve,CVE-2017-12637; reference:url,https://www.exploit.observer/?keyword=CVE-2017-12637&match=exact; reference:url,https://subdomain.center/?engine=ammonites&keyword=sap&match=exact; sid:1000881; rev:2;)

CVE-2017-12637.rules on GitHub

References

Government sources

https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2017-12637 (government-resource)

Other references

https://web.archive.org/web/20170807202056/http://www.sh0w.top/index.php/archives/7/

Other databases

Where this comes from

This advisory is generated automatically by VEDAS from: CVE.org record, CISA KEV, cve-scores (EPSS and VEDAS), Exploit Observer, vedas-signatures. Text in quotes is reproduced from the source; everything else is a fixed template filled with source fields. Nothing here is written by a language model. Check the vendor advisory before acting, and read how VEDAS and Exploit Observer work, and their limits.