CVE-2017-4973 — cloudfoundry-identity-ser…
HIGHCVE-2017-4973 is a high-severity (CVSS 8.8) Improper Privilege Management vulnerability in org.cloudfoundry.identity:cloudfoundry-identity-server. A fix is available for org.cloudfoundry.identity:cloudfoundry-identity-server — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Cloud Foundry UAA Privilege Escalation
EPSS Exploitation Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.
How urgent is this, really
CVE-2017-4973 plotted by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). The shaded corner — EPSS 50%+ and CVSS 7.0+ — is where this CVE doesn't sit, though severity or exploitability alone can still warrant action.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 377,333 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the < 10% band (highlighted). Real counts from FIRST.org, not a sample — log-scaled since the landscape is heavily right-skewed.
Real-World Exposure
org.cloudfoundry.identity:cloudfoundry-identity-server☕org.cloudfoundry.identity:cloudfoundry-identity-server☕org.cloudfoundry.identity:cloudfoundry-identity-server☕org.cloudfoundry.identity:cloudfoundry-identity-serverReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Maven packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
An issue was discovered in Cloud Foundry Foundation cf-release versions prior to v257; UAA release 2.x versions prior to v2.7.4.14, 3.6.x versions prior to v3.6.8, 3.9.x versions prior to v3.9.10, and other versions prior to v3.15.0; and UAA bosh release (uaa-release) 13.x versions prior to v13.12, 24.x versions prior to v24.7, and other versions prior to v30. A vulnerability has been identified with the groups endpoint in UAA allowing users to elevate their privileges.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.cloudfoundry.identity:cloudfoundry-identity-server | ≥ 2.0.0&&< 2.7.4.14 | 2.7.4.14org.cloudfoundry.identity:cloudfoundry-identity-server:2.7.4.14 |
| ☕Maven | org.cloudfoundry.identity:cloudfoundry-identity-server | ≥ 3.0.0&&< 3.6.8 | 3.6.8org.cloudfoundry.identity:cloudfoundry-identity-server:3.6.8 |
| ☕Maven | org.cloudfoundry.identity:cloudfoundry-identity-server | ≥ 3.7.0&&< 3.9.10 | 3.9.10org.cloudfoundry.identity:cloudfoundry-identity-server:3.9.10 |
| ☕Maven | org.cloudfoundry.identity:cloudfoundry-identity-server | ≥ 3.10.0&&< 3.15.0 | 3.15.0org.cloudfoundry.identity:cloudfoundry-identity-server:3.15.0 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.cloudfoundry.identity:cloudfoundry-identity-server, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.cloudfoundry.identity:cloudfoundry-identity-server to 2.7.4.14 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2017-4973 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like CVE-2017-4973 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to CVE-2017-4973. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2017-4973 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds CVE-2017-4973 across Maven dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.