Threats / Microsoft / CVE-2017-0022
CVE-2017-0022
· EUVD no mirror located
· GCVE no mirror located
Verified 2026-06-22
Microsoft XML Core Services vulnerability
Microsoft XML Core Services improperly handles objects in memory, enabling attackers to test for file existence on a victim's disk through a malicious website.
Verdict
Today item — known-exploited.
An information disclosure vulnerability in MSXML allows remote attackers to enumerate files on a target system by crafting a malicious web page that exploits improper memory object handling, potentially revealing sensitive system or user file locations.
01
Is it exploitable?
— the evidence, ranked above the scoreReported exploitation
3 independent public reports of in-the-wild exploitation are cataloged.Distinct reporting sources (vendor, incident response, government); open them for the underlying claims.
Exploited in the wild
Listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog (added 2022-05-24).
Probability (EPSS)
EPSS 0.18069 — modeled likelihood of exploitation activity.EPSS is a daily-changing model output — open the source for today's value.
Severity / affected
Affected: Microsoft, XML Core Services. Confirm exact fixed builds in the vendor advisory.
Weakness (CWE)
Mapped to CWE-200 Information Exposure — weakness family: Authorization / access control.CWE assignment from the public NVD record; the weakness class drives how the flaw is exploited.
02
Who’s exploiting it?
— attribution turns risk into urgencyAttribution not established
No confirmed (advisory-backed) threat-actor attribution is established for this record. Absence of a named actor is not absence of compromise — see Coverage & confidence.
03
Why it matters
— the attack path, told twice: adversary, then board1
Front door — unauthenticated access narrative 1
Attacker
I craft a malicious website containing specially formed XML that triggers improper memory handling in MSXML.
Business
An attacker gains reconnaissance capability to map the target's file system without authentication.
2
Keys to the kingdom — privilege/identity takeover narrative 2
Attacker
I host the malicious page and wait for victims to visit it in a browser with MSXML installed.
Business
Passive infection vector requires no user interaction beyond normal browsing behavior.
3
Lateral reach — past segmentation narrative 3
Attacker
I observe timing or error responses to determine which files exist on the victim's system.
Business
Sensitive file paths and system configuration become visible to the attacker, enabling targeted follow-up attacks.
04
What to do
— defensible action- Remediate per the vendor advisory — confirm the fixed build for your version and verify exposure.1
Say it to the boardA vulnerability with this evidence profile is a defensible budget line, not a backlog ticket — fund the change against the proof above.
05