CVE-2018-18521

Name: CVE-2018-18521
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2018-10-19T17:29:00.873+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

MEDIUMCVSS 5.5/10EPSS 1.82%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2018-18521 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 5.5/10 on the CVSS scale. Divide-by-zero vulnerabilities in the function arlib_add_symbols() in arlib.c in elfutils 0.174 allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) with a crafted ELF file, as demonstrated by eu-ranlib, because a zero sh_entsize is mishandled.. EPSS estimates a 1.82% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

Divide-by-zero vulnerabilities in the function arlib_add_symbols() in arlib.c in elfutils 0.174 allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) with a crafted ELF file, as demonstrated by eu-ranlib, because a zero sh_entsize is mishandled.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

5.5/10

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

EPSS Probability

1.82%

76.1th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-369

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Elfutils Project	Elfutils	0.174
Debian	Debian Linux	8.0
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.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=23786Exploit, Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory
https://sourceware.org/ml/elfutils-devel/2018-q4/msg00055.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=23786Exploit, Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory
https://sourceware.org/ml/elfutils-devel/2018-q4/msg00055.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-2018-18521?

How severe is CVE-2018-18521?

CVE-2018-18521 has a CVSS score of 5.5/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 1.82% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2018-18521?

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-2018-18521?

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

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST