CVE-2018-14608
CWE-311Published: July 26, 2018· Updated: Jun 17, 2026
Official Description
Thomson Reuters UltraTax CS 2017 on Windows has a password protection option; however, the level of protection might be inconsistent with some customers' expectations because the data is directly accessible in cleartext. Specifically, it stores customer data in unique directories (%install_path%\WinCSI\UT17DATA\client_ID\file_name.XX17) that can be bypassed without authentication by examining the strings of the .XX17 file. The strings stored in the .XX17 file contain each customer's: Full Name, Spouse's Name, Social Security Number, Date of Birth, Occupation, Home Address, Daytime Phone Number, Home Phone Number, Spouse's Address, Spouse's Daytime Phone Number, Spouse's Social Security Number, Spouse's Home Phone Number, Spouse's Occupation, Spouse's Date of Birth, and Spouse's Filing Status.
Technical Analysis
CVE-2018-14608 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.
The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns and worm-like propagation.
A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), with a CVSS base score of 7.5.
CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown
Affected Vendors & Products
Exploit & PoC Resources
Official Patches & Advisories
All References (4)
Quick Facts
Related CVEs (CWE-311)
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2018-14608 in threat intel feeds
- →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts