CVE-2018-18690: Medium severity Linux Linux kernel vulnerability

Published Oct 26, 2018
·
Updated

In the Linux kernel before 4.17, a local attacker able to set attributes on an xfs filesystem could make this filesystem non-operational until the next mount by triggering an unchecked error condition during an xfs attribute change, because xfsattrshortformaddname in fs/xfs/libxfs/xfsattr.c mishandles ATTRREPLACE operations with conversion of an attr from short to long form.

Affected Software

7 affected componentsFixes available
Linux Linux kernel<4.17
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=12.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=14.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=16.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=18.04
Debian Debian Linux=8.0
debian/linux
5.10.223-15.10.262-16.1.176-16.1.180-16.12.94-16.12.101-17.1.8-17.1.8-2

Remediation

Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.

  1. Upgrade

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

    Fixed in 5.10.223-1Fixed in 5.10.262-1Fixed in 6.1.176-1Fixed in 6.1.180-1Fixed in 6.12.94-1Fixed in 6.12.101-1Fixed in 7.1.8-1Fixed in 7.1.8-2
  2. Upgrade

    Upgrade Linux kernel to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 4.17

Event History

Oct 26, 2018
CVE Published
via MITRE·06:00 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·06:00 PM
Description
Data Sourced
via NVD·06:29 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software
Jan 11, 2024
Data Sourced
via Launchpad·10:57 PM
Description
Jul 6, 2026
Data Sourced
via Ubuntu·11:14 AM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Aug 16, 2026
Data Sourced
via Debian·12:16 PM
DescriptionAffected Software

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2018-18690?

CVE-2018-18690 is classified as a moderate severity vulnerability due to its potential impact on filesystem operations.

2

How do I fix CVE-2018-18690?

To fix CVE-2018-18690, upgrade to a kernel version that is 4.17 or newer.

3

Which systems are affected by CVE-2018-18690?

CVE-2018-18690 affects Linux kernel versions prior to 4.17 as well as specific Ubuntu and Debian releases.

4

What is the nature of the issue in CVE-2018-18690?

CVE-2018-18690 involves an unchecked error condition during an xfs attribute change, which can render the filesystem non-operational.

5

Can CVE-2018-18690 be exploited locally?

Yes, CVE-2018-18690 can be exploited by a local attacker with the ability to set attributes on an xfs filesystem.

Contact

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