LOW
CVE-2018-16866
CWE-125Published: January 11, 2019· Updated: Jun 17, 2026
3.3
CVSS v3.1
Official Description
An out of bounds read was discovered in systemd-journald in the way it parses log messages that terminate with a colon ':'. A local attacker can use this flaw to disclose process memory data. Versions from v221 to v239 are vulnerable.
Technical Analysis
CVE-2018-16866 requires local access, meaning attackers must already have a foothold on the target system.
Exploitation requires low privileges, which limits the exposure to scenarios where an attacker has already gained initial access.
CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown
Exploitability
Attack VectorLocal
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.Low
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityLow
IntegrityNone
AvailabilityNone
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
Affected Vendors & Products
Canonical1 product(s)
ubuntu linux
Debian1 product(s)
debian linux
netapp2 product(s)
active iq performance analytics serviceselement software
Red Hat16 product(s)
enterprise linuxenterprise linux compute node eusenterprise linux desktopenterprise linux for ibm z systems \(structure a\)enterprise linux for ibm z systems eusenterprise linux for power big endianenterprise linux for power big endian eusenterprise linux for power little endianenterprise linux for power little endian eusenterprise linux for scientific computingenterprise linux serverenterprise linux server aus+4
systemd_project1 product(s)
systemd
Source: NVD CPE · 27 total CPE entries
Exploit & PoC Resources
NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
Exploit-DB
Offensive Security exploit database
GitHub PoC Search
Community PoC repositories
Rapid7 / Metasploit
Metasploit module search
PacketStorm
Security advisories & exploits
NVD Detail
Official NIST entry
MITRE CVE
CVE Program entry
External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.
Official Patches & Advisories
ADVISORYhttps://usn.ubuntu.com/3855-1/
ADVISORYhttps://usn.ubuntu.com/3855-1/
All References (28)
→
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/152841/System-Down-A-systemd-journald-Exploit.htmlThird Party Advisory · VDB Entry
→
http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2019/May/21Mailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2019/05/10/4Mailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/106527Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry
→
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:2091Third Party Advisory
→
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:3222Third Party Advisory
→
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2020:0593Third Party Advisory
→
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=CVE-2018-16866Issue Tracking · Patch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://seclists.org/bugtraq/2019/May/25Mailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201903-07Third Party Advisory
→
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20190117-0001/Third Party Advisory
→
https://usn.ubuntu.com/3855-1/Third Party Advisory
→
https://www.debian.org/security/2019/dsa-4367Third Party Advisory
→
https://www.qualys.com/2019/01/09/system-down/system-down.txtExploit · Third Party Advisory
→
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/152841/System-Down-A-systemd-journald-Exploit.htmlThird Party Advisory · VDB Entry
Quick Facts
CVE IDCVE-2018-16866
CVSS Score3.3 / 10
SeverityLOW
WeaknessCWE-125
CISA KEVNo
Affected5 vendor(s)
PublishedJan 11, 2019
Related CVEs (CWE-125)
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2018-16866 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. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.