How severe is CVE-2017-8464?

CVE-2017-8464 has a CVSS score of 8.8/10, rated HIGH. Immediate patching is strongly recommended.

Which products are affected by CVE-2017-8464?

Affected package information for CVE-2017-8464 is not yet fully mapped. Check the official advisory links for details.

How do I patch CVE-2017-8464?

No patch has shipped for CVE-2017-8464 yet — track the microsoft windows 7 advisory for a fixed release and apply the workarounds below in the meantime.

How do I detect CVE-2017-8464 across my infrastructure?

Inventory every microsoft windows 7 deployment and check each version against the affected-products list above. Because the exploit targets the running system rather than your application code, also watch for remote code execution at the network and runtime layer — O3 flags the exploit behaviour from runtime telemetry and egress traffic even before a vulnerable build is confirmed.

How do I mitigate CVE-2017-8464 if there is no patch (or I can't update yet)?

Cut exposure now: restrict the management/admin interface to trusted networks, segment the device, and apply the vendor's recommended configuration mitigations and any WAF/IPS signature. O3's runtime protection blocks the exploit chain at execution, holding the line on unpatched or end-of-life systems until you can patch.

How does O3 Security protect against CVE-2017-8464?

O3 detects and blocks CVE-2017-8464 exploitation at runtime: eBPF exploit-chain detection, plus L7 egress monitoring that catches the post-exploitation callback and severs the attacker's outbound channel.

Is CVE-2017-8464 actively exploited in the wild?

Yes. There are 17 known exploit references for CVE-2017-8464, including 2 documented proof-of-concept exploits on Exploit-DB and 12 in-the-wild exploitations observed on GitHub and other sources. Treat this as actively exploitable and prioritize patching immediately. All exploit code should only be run in an isolated sandbox environment for research or authorized testing — never against production systems without explicit written authorization.

What is the EPSS score for CVE-2017-8464?

CVE-2017-8464 has an EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score of 90.0%, placing it in the 100th percentile of all CVEs. EPSS is maintained by FIRST.org and estimates the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. A score above 50% indicates significantly elevated exploitation risk — immediate patching is strongly recommended.

Is CVE-2017-8464 in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog?

Yes. CVE-2017-8464 (Microsoft Windows Shell (.lnk) Remote Code Execution Vulnerability) was added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog on 2022-02-10. CISA required all US federal civilian agencies to remediate this vulnerability by 2022-08-10. The required action was: Apply updates per vendor instructions. Being listed in the KEV catalog is the strongest possible confirmation of active exploitation — treat this as a critical priority.

Which products and versions are affected by CVE-2017-8464?

CVE-2017-8464 affects microsoft windows 7; microsoft windows 8.1; microsoft windows 10 1511; microsoft windows 10 1607, and 5 more product(s). Check the affected-products list on this page against your deployed version to confirm exposure.

Is there exploit tooling available for CVE-2017-8464?

5 Metasploit modules reference CVE-2017-8464, which lowers the barrier to weaponization. Public exploit tooling significantly increases real-world risk — prioritize patching and ensure detection coverage. Exploit tooling should only ever be used in isolated, authorized testing environments.

When was CVE-2017-8464 published, and has it been updated?

CVE-2017-8464 was published on June 15, 2017 and was last updated on June 17, 2026. Advisory data evolves as severity scores, affected ranges, and exploit intelligence are revised — always check the latest version of the advisory before acting.

CISA KEV·Added 2022-02-10 — agencies required to remediate by 2022-08-10

CVE-2017-8464

HIGH

Windows Shell in Microsoft Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 Gold and R2, Windows RT 8.1, Windows 10 Gold, 1511, 1607, 1703,…

Published

Jun 15, 2017

Updated

Jun 17, 2026

Affected

0 pkgs

Patched

None yet

Exploits

17 known

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

90.0%probability of exploitation in next 30 days

Very High Risk100th percentile0.00%

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.

Description

Windows Shell in Microsoft Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 Gold and R2, Windows RT 8.1, Windows 10 Gold, 1511, 1607, 1703, and Windows Server 2016 allows local users or remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted .LNK file, which is not properly handled during icon display in Windows Explorer or any other application that parses the icon of the shortcut. aka "LNK Remote Code Execution Vulnerability."

Affected Products

9 products · 12 configurations

windows 7microsoft

all

windows 8.1microsoft

all

windows 10 1511microsoft

all

windows 10 1607microsoft

all

windows 10 1703microsoft

all

windows rt 8.1microsoft

all

Exploits & PoCs

Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.

EDB-42382localwindows

Microsoft Windows - '.LNK' Shortcut File Code Execution (Metasploit)

by Yorick Koster · Jul 26, 2017

Exploit-DB Source

EDB-42429localwindows

Microsoft Windows - '.LNK' Shortcut File Code Execution

by nixawk · Aug 6, 2017

Exploit-DB Source

Detection & mitigation playbook

Vendor / appliance

Detect
Inventory every microsoft windows 7 deployment and check each version against the affected-products list above. Because the exploit targets the running system rather than your application code, also watch for remote code execution at the network and runtime layer — O3 flags the exploit behaviour from runtime telemetry and egress traffic even before a vulnerable build is confirmed.
Remediation status
No patch has shipped for CVE-2017-8464 yet — track the microsoft windows 7 advisory for a fixed release and apply the workarounds below in the meantime.
Mitigate without a patch
Cut exposure now: restrict the management/admin interface to trusted networks, segment the device, and apply the vendor's recommended configuration mitigations and any WAF/IPS signature. O3's runtime protection blocks the exploit chain at execution, holding the line on unpatched or end-of-life systems until you can patch.
How O3 protects you
O3 detects and blocks CVE-2017-8464 exploitation at runtime: eBPF exploit-chain detection, plus L7 egress monitoring that catches the post-exploitation callback and severs the attacker's outbound channel.

Tailored to CVE-2017-8464. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.

Frequently Asked Questions

O3 Security · Runtime Protection

Is CVE-2017-8464 being exploited in your environment?

O3's eBPF runtime sensors and L7 egress monitoring detect and block the CVE-2017-8464 exploit chain at execution — protecting unpatched and end-of-life systems until the vendor patch is applied.

Protect my workloads How runtime protection works

CVSS Score

8.8/10

CVSS v3 base score

Vector breakdown

AV:Attack Vector

Network

AC:Attack Complexity

Low

PR:Privileges Required

None

UI:User Interaction

Required

S:Scope

Unchanged

C:Confidentiality

High

I:Integrity

High

A:Availability

High

Raw vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Weaponization

Timeline

Disclosed

Jun 15, 2017

First exploit

Jul 26, 2017

KEV added

Feb 10, 2022

Last updated

Jun 17, 2026

Identifiers

CVE-2017-8464

References

Advisorysecurityfocus.com Advisorysecuritytracker.com Advisorysecurityfocus.com Advisorysecuritytracker.com Fixportal.msrc.microsoft.com Fixportal.msrc.microsoft.com Exploit / PoCexploit-db.com Exploit / PoCexploit-db.com Exploit / PoCexploit-db.com Exploit / PoCexploit-db.com Webcisa.gov

Data from OSV.dev, enriched by O3 Security. Refreshed hourly.

CVE-2017-8464

EPSS Exploitation Probability

Description

Affected Products

Detection & mitigation playbook

Detect

Remediation status

Mitigate without a patch

How O3 protects you

Frequently Asked Questions

Is CVE-2017-8464 being exploited in your environment?