CVE-2018-18445: High severity Linux Linux kernel vulnerability

Published Oct 17, 2018
·
Updated

A security flaw was found in the Linux kernel in the adjustscalarminmaxvals() function in kernel/bpf/verifier.c. A faulty computation of numeric bounds in the BPF verifier permits out-of-bounds memory accesses because this function mishandles 32-bit right shifts. A local unprivileged user cannot leverage this flaw, but as a privileged user ("root") this can lead to a system panic and a denial of service or other unspecified impact. Due to the nature of the flaw, privilege escalation cannot be fully ruled out, although we believe it is unlikely.

References:

https://bugs.chromium.org/p/project-zero/issues/detail?id=1686

https://seclists.org/oss-sec/2018/q4/69

An upstream patch:

https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=b799207e1e1816b09e7a5920fbb2d5fcf6edd681

Other sources

In the Linux kernel 4.14.x, 4.15.x, 4.16.x, 4.17.x, and 4.18.x before 4.18.13, faulty computation of numeric bounds in the BPF verifier permits out-of-bounds memory accesses because adjustscalarminmaxvals in kernel/bpf/verifier.c mishandles 32-bit right shifts.

Launchpad

Affected Software

14 affected componentsFixes available
Linux Linux kernel>=4.14.9<4.14.75
Linux Linux kernel>=4.15<4.18.13
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=14.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=16.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=18.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=18.10
redhat Enterprise Linux Desktop=7.0
redhat Enterprise Linux Server=7.0
redhat Enterprise Linux Server=7.6
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=7.0
debian/linux
6.1.176-16.1.180-16.12.94-16.12.107-17.1.12-17.1.13-1

Remediation

Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.

  1. Upgrade

    Upgrade debian/linux to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 6.1.176-1Fixed in 6.1.180-1Fixed in 6.12.94-1Fixed in 6.12.107-1Fixed in 7.1.12-1Fixed in 7.1.13-1
  2. Upgrade

    Upgrade Linux kernel to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 4.18.13

Event History

Oct 17, 2018
CVE Published
via MITRE·07:00 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·07:00 PM
Description
Data Sourced
via NVD·07:29 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software
Oct 18, 2018
Data Sourced
via Red Hat·11:33 AM
DescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Jan 11, 2024
Data Sourced
via Launchpad·10:56 PM
Description
Jul 4, 2026
Data Sourced
via Ubuntu·11:29 AM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Sep 4, 2026
Data Sourced
via Debian·12:44 PM
DescriptionAffected Software

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2018-18445?

CVE-2018-18445 has been rated as a medium severity vulnerability due to its potential for causing out-of-bounds memory access.

2

How do I fix CVE-2018-18445?

To fix CVE-2018-18445, you should update your Linux kernel to the recommended versions provided by your distribution, such as those above 4.14.75 or 4.18.13.

3

Which Linux distributions are affected by CVE-2018-18445?

CVE-2018-18445 affects various versions of the Linux kernel, including those used in Ubuntu 14.04, 16.04, 18.04, 18.10, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux version 7.0 and 7.6.

4

Can CVE-2018-18445 be exploited remotely?

CVE-2018-18445 requires local access to the system to exploit the vulnerability, limiting its risk to local unprivileged users.

5

What versions of the Linux kernel have patched CVE-2018-18445?

The vulnerability CVE-2018-18445 has been patched in kernel versions 5.10.223-1, 5.10.226-1, 6.1.119-1, 6.1.123-1, 6.12.11-1, and 6.12.12-1.

Contact

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