CVE-2018-16789

Name: CVE-2018-16789
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2019-03-21T16:00:22.547+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

UnknownEPSS 5.99%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2018-16789 is a vulnerability of currently unknown severity. libhttp/url.c in shellinabox through 2.20 has an implementation flaw in the HTTP request parsing logic. By sending a crafted multipart/form-data HTTP request, an attacker could exploit this to force shellinaboxd into an infinite loop, exhausting available CPU resources and taking the service down.. EPSS estimates a 5.99% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

libhttp/url.c in shellinabox through 2.20 has an implementation flaw in the HTTP request parsing logic. By sending a crafted multipart/form-data HTTP request, an attacker could exploit this to force shellinaboxd into an infinite loop, exhausting available CPU resources and taking the service down.

Metrics

EPSS Probability

5.99%

92.4th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-835

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Shellinabox Project	Shellinabox	<= 2.20

References

http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/149978/Shell-In-A-Box-2.2.0-Denial-Of-Service.htmlExploit, Patch, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2018/Oct/50Exploit, Mailing List, Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://code.google.com/archive/p/shellinabox/issuesThird Party Advisory
https://github.com/shellinabox/shellinabox/commit/4f0ecc31ac6f985e0dd3f5a52cbfc0e9251f6361Patch, Third Party Advisory
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/149978/Shell-In-A-Box-2.2.0-Denial-Of-Service.htmlExploit, Patch, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2018/Oct/50Exploit, Mailing List, Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://code.google.com/archive/p/shellinabox/issuesThird Party Advisory
https://github.com/shellinabox/shellinabox/commit/4f0ecc31ac6f985e0dd3f5a52cbfc0e9251f6361Patch, Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Mar 21, 2019
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2018-16789?

How severe is CVE-2018-16789?

Severity scoring for CVE-2018-16789 is pending analysis. The EPSS model estimates a 5.99% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2018-16789?

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-2018-16789?

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

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST