CVE-2018-18505

Name: CVE-2018-18505
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2019-02-05T21:29:00.613+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

UnknownEPSS 4.54%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2018-18505 is a vulnerability of currently unknown severity. An earlier fix for an Inter-process Communication (IPC) vulnerability, CVE-2011-3079, added authentication to communication between IPC endpoints and server parents during IPC process creation. This authentication is insufficient for channels created after the IPC process is started, leading to the authentication not being correctly applied to later channels. EPSS estimates a 4.54% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

An earlier fix for an Inter-process Communication (IPC) vulnerability, CVE-2011-3079, added authentication to communication between IPC endpoints and server parents during IPC process creation. This authentication is insufficient for channels created after the IPC process is started, leading to the authentication not being correctly applied to later channels. This could allow for a sandbox escape through IPC channels due to lack of message validation in the listener process. This vulnerability affects Thunderbird < 60.5, Firefox ESR < 60.5, and Firefox < 65.

Metrics

EPSS Probability

4.54%

90.4th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-287

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Mozilla	Firefox	< 60.5.0
Mozilla	Firefox	< 65.0
Mozilla	Thunderbird	< 60.5.0
Canonical	Ubuntu Linux	14.04
Canonical	Ubuntu Linux	16.04
Canonical	Ubuntu Linux	18.04
Canonical	Ubuntu Linux	18.10
Debian	Debian Linux	8.0
Debian	Debian Linux	9.0
Redhat	Enterprise Linux Desktop	6.0
Redhat	Enterprise Linux Desktop	7.0
Redhat	Enterprise Linux Server	6.0
Redhat	Enterprise Linux Server	7.0
Redhat	Enterprise Linux Server Aus	7.6
Redhat	Enterprise Linux Server Eus	7.6
Redhat	Enterprise Linux Server Tus	7.6
Redhat	Enterprise Linux Workstation	6.0
Redhat	Enterprise Linux Workstation	7.0

References

http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-07/msg00021.html
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/106781Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:0218Third Party Advisory
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:0219Third Party Advisory
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:0269Third Party Advisory
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:0270Third Party Advisory
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1087565Issue Tracking, Patch, Vendor Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2019/01/msg00025.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2019/02/msg00024.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201903-04Third Party Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201904-07Third Party Advisory
https://usn.ubuntu.com/3874-1/Third Party Advisory
https://usn.ubuntu.com/3897-1/Third Party Advisory
https://www.debian.org/security/2019/dsa-4376Third Party Advisory
https://www.debian.org/security/2019/dsa-4392Third Party Advisory
https://www.mozilla.org/security/advisories/mfsa2019-01/Vendor Advisory
https://www.mozilla.org/security/advisories/mfsa2019-02/Vendor Advisory
https://www.mozilla.org/security/advisories/mfsa2019-03/Vendor Advisory
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-07/msg00021.html
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/106781Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:0218Third Party Advisory
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:0219Third Party Advisory
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:0269Third Party Advisory
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:0270Third Party Advisory
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1087565Issue Tracking, Patch, Vendor Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2019/01/msg00025.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2019/02/msg00024.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201903-04Third Party Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201904-07Third Party Advisory
https://usn.ubuntu.com/3874-1/Third Party Advisory
https://usn.ubuntu.com/3897-1/Third Party Advisory
https://www.debian.org/security/2019/dsa-4376Third Party Advisory
https://www.debian.org/security/2019/dsa-4392Third Party Advisory
https://www.mozilla.org/security/advisories/mfsa2019-01/Vendor Advisory
https://www.mozilla.org/security/advisories/mfsa2019-02/Vendor Advisory
https://www.mozilla.org/security/advisories/mfsa2019-03/Vendor Advisory

Timeline

Published: Feb 5, 2019
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2018-18505?

How severe is CVE-2018-18505?

Severity scoring for CVE-2018-18505 is pending analysis. The EPSS model estimates a 4.54% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2018-18505?

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-2018-18505?

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

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST