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CVE-2018-16888

MEDIUMCVSS 4.7/10EPSS 0.30%

Last modified

CVE-2018-16888 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 4.7/10 on the CVSS scale. It was discovered systemd does not correctly check the content of PIDFile files before using it to kill processes. When a service is run from an unprivileged user (e.g. EPSS estimates a 0.30% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

It was discovered systemd does not correctly check the content of PIDFile files before using it to kill processes. When a service is run from an unprivileged user (e.g. User field set in the service file), a local attacker who is able to write to the PIDFile of the mentioned service may use this flaw to trick systemd into killing other services and/or privileged processes. Versions before v237 are vulnerable.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1
4.7/10

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

EPSS Probability
0.30%

21.4th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

Affected Software

VendorProductVersions
Systemd ProjectSystemd< 237
CanonicalUbuntu Linux16.04
CanonicalUbuntu Linux18.04
CanonicalUbuntu Linux19.10
RedhatEnterprise Linux7.0
NetappActive Iq Performance Analytics ServicesAll versions
NetappElement SoftwareAll versions

References

Timeline

Published
Last Modified
Status
Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2018-16888?
It was discovered systemd does not correctly check the content of PIDFile files before using it to kill processes. When a service is run from an unprivileged user (e.g. User field set in the service file), a local attacker who is able to write to the PIDFile of the mentioned service may use this flaw to trick systemd into killing other services and/or privileged processes. Versions before v237 are vulnerable.
How severe is CVE-2018-16888?
CVE-2018-16888 has a CVSS score of 4.7/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.30% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How do I fix CVE-2018-16888?
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.

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Source: NVD / NIST