CVE-2018-16402

Name: CVE-2018-16402
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2018-09-03T19:29:00.493+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

CRITICALCVSS 9.8/10EPSS 3.69%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2018-16402 is a critical-severity vulnerability rated 9.8/10 on the CVSS scale. libelf/elf_end.c in elfutils 0.173 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (double free and application crash) or possibly have unspecified other impact because it tries to decompress twice.. EPSS estimates a 3.69% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

libelf/elf_end.c in elfutils 0.173 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (double free and application crash) or possibly have unspecified other impact because it tries to decompress twice.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

9.8/10

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

EPSS Probability

3.69%

88.3th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-415

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Elfutils Project	Elfutils	0.173
Debian	Debian Linux	9.0
Redhat	Enterprise Linux Desktop	7.0
Redhat	Enterprise Linux Server	7.0
Redhat	Enterprise Linux Workstation	7.0
Opensuse	Leap	15.0
Opensuse	Leap	15.1
Canonical	Ubuntu Linux	16.04
Canonical	Ubuntu Linux	18.04
Canonical	Ubuntu Linux	18.10

References

http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-06/msg00052.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:2197Third Party Advisory
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r1b103833cb5bc8466e24ff0ecc5e75b45a705334ab6a444e64e840a0%40%3Cissues.bookkeeper.apache.org%3E
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2021/10/msg00030.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=23528Exploit, Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory
https://usn.ubuntu.com/4012-1/Third Party Advisory
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-06/msg00052.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:2197Third Party Advisory
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r1b103833cb5bc8466e24ff0ecc5e75b45a705334ab6a444e64e840a0%40%3Cissues.bookkeeper.apache.org%3E
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2021/10/msg00030.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=23528Exploit, Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory
https://usn.ubuntu.com/4012-1/Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Sep 3, 2018
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2018-16402?

How severe is CVE-2018-16402?

CVE-2018-16402 has a CVSS score of 9.8/10 (CRITICAL severity). The EPSS model estimates a 3.69% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2018-16402?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

Are you affected by CVE-2018-16402?

Run a free Strix scan to check your systems for this vulnerability.

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST