CVE-2018-18955

High

In the Linux kernel 4.15.x through 4.19.x before 4.19.2, map_write() in kernel/user_namespace.c allows privilege escalation because it mishandles nested user namespaces with more than 5 UID or GID ranges. A user who has CAP_SYS_ADMIN in an affected user namespace can bypass access controls on resources outside the namespace, as demonstrated by reading /etc/shadow. This occurs because an ID transformation takes place properly for the namespaced-to-kernel direction but not for the kernel-to-namespaced direction.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2018-11-16
Last modified 2024-11-21
CVSS version 3.0
Patch available
Awaiting data

CVSS 3.0 score

7.0

out of 10
High
Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
High
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High
Vector string
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Weakness type

CWE-863

CVE-2018-18955 is classified as CWE-863

See CWE-863 on MITRE CWE for full details on this weakness type.

References

The following references provide additional information about CVE-2018-18955 including vendor advisories, patch commits, exploit details, and third-party analysis. Links are sourced from the NIST NVD database.

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2018-18955?

    CVE-2018-18955 is a High severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 7.0 out of 10 . CVE-2018-18955 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • What is the CVSS score for CVE-2018-18955?

    CVE-2018-18955 has a CVSS score of 7.0 out of 10, rated High severity (CVSS 3.0). The vector string is CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H .

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2018-18955?

    No patch is currently available for CVE-2018-18955. Monitor the NIST NVD and your Linux distribution's security advisories for updates.

  • Is CVE-2018-18955 actively exploited?

    No — CVE-2018-18955 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.