HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2018-16530
CRITICAL

CVE-2018-16530

CWE-787Published: April 9, 2019· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

9.8
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

A stack-based buffer overflow in Forcepoint Email Security version 8.5 allows an attacker to craft malicious input and potentially crash a process creating a denial-of-service. While no known Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerabilities exist, as with all buffer overflows, the possibility of RCE cannot be completely ruled out. Data Execution Protection (DEP) is already enabled on the Email appliance as a risk mitigation.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2018-16530 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), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 9.8.

From a weakness classification perspective (CWE-787): Out-of-bounds write vulnerabilities can lead to data corruption, crashes, or arbitrary code execution.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.None
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

forcepoint1 product(s)
email security
Source: NVD CPE · 2 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
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Official Patches & Advisories

All References (4)

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2018-16530
CVSS Score9.8 / 10
SeverityCRITICAL
WeaknessCWE-787
CISA KEVNo
Affected1 vendor(s)
PublishedApr 9, 2019

Related CVEs (CWE-787)

Recommended Actions

  • Apply vendor patches immediately
  • Monitor CVE-2018-16530 in threat intel feeds
  • Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts
Data sourced from NVD (NIST), CISA KEV, and EPSS (FIRST). Analysis generated by CTIWATCH.COM. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.