CVE-2017-8540: Microsoft Malware Protection Engine Improper Restriction of Operations Vulnerability
Reference page built from the source records below, each shown as its source publishes it. Dataset version ref-befdd5c9dd4c, updated 2026-11-02T23:39:54.475Z.
CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities
- Name
- Microsoft Malware Protection Engine Improper Restriction of Operations Vulnerability
- Vendor
- Microsoft
- Product
- Malware Protection Engine
- Added to the catalog
- 2022-03-03
- Due date for US federal agencies
- 2022-03-24
- Weaknesses
- CWE-119
- Catalog version
- 2026.10.30
The Microsoft Malware Protection Engine running on Microsoft Forefront and Microsoft Defender on Microsoft Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 Gold and R2, Windows RT 8.1, Windows 10 Gold, 1511, 1607, and 1703, and Windows Server 2016, Microsoft Exchange Server 2013 and 2016, does not properly scan a specially crafted file leading to memory corruption. aka "Microsoft Malware Protection Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability".
Required action (CISA)
Apply updates per vendor instructions.
Ransomware use: CISA does not mark known use of this vulnerability in ransomware campaigns.
Links in CISA's notes
Read on 2026-11-02T23:39:54.475Z under licence cisa-kev-cc0@b0067899 from https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json
NVD analysis
- Status
- Analyzed
- Published
- 2017-05-26T20:29:00.427
- Last modified
- 2026-06-17T01:26:32.713
- Weaknesses
- CWE-787
The Microsoft Malware Protection Engine running on Microsoft Forefront and Microsoft Defender on Microsoft Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 Gold and R2, Windows RT 8.1, Windows 10 Gold, 1511, 1607, and 1703, and Windows Server 2016, Microsoft Exchange Server 2013 and 2016, does not properly scan a specially crafted file leading to memory corruption. aka "Microsoft Malware Protection Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability", a different vulnerability than CVE-2017-8538 and CVE-2017-8541.
| Metric | Score | Severity | Vector | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.8 | HIGH | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H | [email protected] (Primary) |
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.8 | HIGH | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H | 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0 (Secondary) |
| CVSS 2.0 | 9.3 | HIGH | AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C | [email protected] (Primary) |
References
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/98703 (Broken Link, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry)
- http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1038571 (Broken Link, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry)
- https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2017-8540 (Mitigation, Patch, Vendor Advisory)
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/42088/ (Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry)
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/98703 (Broken Link, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry)
- http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1038571 (Broken Link, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry)
- https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2017-8540 (Mitigation, Patch, Vendor Advisory)
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/42088/ (Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry)
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2017-8540 (US Government Resource)
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.
Read on 2026-11-02T23:41:35.381Z under licence nvd-api-terms-of-use@ff2a5288 from https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?cveId=CVE-2017-8540
CVE record
- Assigner
- microsoft
- State
- PUBLISHED
- Published
- 2017-05-26T20:00:00.000Z
- Updated
- 2025-10-21T23:55:40.255Z
- Problem types
- Remote Code Execution
The Microsoft Malware Protection Engine running on Microsoft Forefront and Microsoft Defender on Microsoft Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 Gold and R2, Windows RT 8.1, Windows 10 Gold, 1511, 1607, and 1703, and Windows Server 2016, Microsoft Exchange Server 2013 and 2016, does not properly scan a specially crafted file leading to memory corruption. aka "Microsoft Malware Protection Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability", a different vulnerability than CVE-2017-8538 and CVE-2017-8541.
References
Read on 2026-11-03T00:35:38.574Z under licence cve-terms-of-use@81bfa2f3 from https://raw.githubusercontent.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/main/cves/2017/8xxx/CVE-2017-8540.json
Defensive techniques (MITRE D3FEND)
D3FEND maps these defensive techniques to the weakness (CWE) that NVD lists for this CVE, through the digital artifacts the weakness affects. D3FEND does not say they stop this vulnerability.
CWE-787: Out-of-bounds Write
- Harden: Variable Initialization (acts on Subroutine)
- Harden: Trusted Library (acts on Subroutine)
- Harden: Software Update (acts on Software)
- Model: Asset Vulnerability Enumeration (acts on Software)
- Model: Software Inventory (acts on Software)
- Harden: Domain Logic Validation (acts on Subroutine)
- Harden: Credential Scrubbing (acts on Subroutine)
- Isolate: Application-based Process Isolation (acts on Subroutine)
- Restore: Restore Software (acts on Software)
D3FEND ontology version 1.6.0.
Read on 2026-11-03T00:02:57.820Z under licence d3fend-terms-of-use@f98cbc7e from https://d3fend.mitre.org/api/weakness/cwe/CWE-787.json
MITRE D3FEND™ knowledge graph. © 2025 The MITRE Corporation.
"The MITRE Corporation (MITRE) hereby grants you a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use D3FEND for research, development, and commercial purposes. Any copy you make for such purposes is authorized provided that you reproduce MITRE's copyright designation and this license in any such copy." Terms: https://d3fend.mitre.org/tou/
Sources and licences
CISA
Source: CISA Catalog of Known Exploited Vulnerabilities, version 2026.10.30, CC0 1.0. Use of this data does not imply endorsement by CISA or DHS.
National Vulnerability Database (NIST)
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.
NVD API Terms of Use (NIST publications in the public domain, 17 U.S.C. 105)
CVE Program, The MITRE Corporation
Copyright © 1999-2026, The MITRE Corporation. CVE is a trademark and the CVE logo is a registered trademark of The MITRE Corporation. CVE Usage: MITRE hereby grants you a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, no-charge, royalty-free, irrevocable copyright license to reproduce, prepare derivative works of, publicly display, publicly perform, sublicense, and distribute Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE™). Any copy you make for such purposes is authorized provided that you reproduce MITRE's copyright designation and this license in any such copy.
MITRE D3FEND
MITRE D3FEND™ knowledge graph. © 2025 The MITRE Corporation.
"The MITRE Corporation (MITRE) hereby grants you a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use D3FEND for research, development, and commercial purposes. Any copy you make for such purposes is authorized provided that you reproduce MITRE's copyright designation and this license in any such copy." Terms: https://d3fend.mitre.org/tou/MITRE D3FEND Terms of Use (site + knowledge graph); source repo MIT
Cite this page
Dragons Eye Ransomware Tracker, "CVE-2017-8540: Microsoft Malware Protection Engine Improper Restriction of Operations Vulnerability",
entity page, dataset version ref-befdd5c9dd4c, updated 2026-11-02T23:39:54.475Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/cve/CVE-2017-8540 (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: CISA Catalog of Known Exploited Vulnerabilities, version 2026.10.30.
Underlying source: National Vulnerability Database (NIST), CVE API 2.0, record last modified 2026-06-17T01:26:32.713.
Underlying source: CVE List (CVE Program, The MITRE Corporation), record updated 2025-10-21T23:55:40.255Z.
Underlying source: MITRE D3FEND, ontology version 1.6.0.
Pages change. The dataset version identifies the data, but no archive of old versions is kept, so this citation cannot be replayed later.