CVE-2018-18520

Name: CVE-2018-18520
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2018-10-19T17:29:00.767+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

MEDIUMCVSS 6.5/10EPSS 2.79%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2018-18520 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 6.5/10 on the CVSS scale. An Invalid Memory Address Dereference exists in the function elf_end in libelf in elfutils through v0.174. Although eu-size is intended to support ar files inside ar files, handle_ar in size.c closes the outer ar file before handling all inner entries. EPSS estimates a 2.79% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

An Invalid Memory Address Dereference exists in the function elf_end in libelf in elfutils through v0.174. Although eu-size is intended to support ar files inside ar files, handle_ar in size.c closes the outer ar file before handling all inner entries. The vulnerability allows attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) with a crafted ELF file.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

6.5/10

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

EPSS Probability

2.79%

84.6th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-119

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Elfutils Project	Elfutils	<= 0.174
Debian	Debian Linux	8.0
Debian	Debian Linux	9.0
Canonical	Ubuntu Linux	16.04
Canonical	Ubuntu Linux	18.04
Canonical	Ubuntu Linux	18.10
Opensuse	Leap	15.0
Opensuse	Leap	15.1
Redhat	Enterprise Linux Desktop	7.0
Redhat	Enterprise Linux Server	7.0
Redhat	Enterprise Linux Workstation	7.0

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.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2019/02/msg00036.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2021/10/msg00030.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=23787Exploit, Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory
https://sourceware.org/ml/elfutils-devel/2018-q4/msg00057.htmlMailing List, Patch, 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.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2019/02/msg00036.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2021/10/msg00030.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=23787Exploit, Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory
https://sourceware.org/ml/elfutils-devel/2018-q4/msg00057.htmlMailing List, Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://usn.ubuntu.com/4012-1/Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Oct 19, 2018
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2018-18520?

How severe is CVE-2018-18520?

CVE-2018-18520 has a CVSS score of 6.5/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 2.79% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2018-18520?

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-2018-18520?

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

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST