HIGH
CVE-2018-16881
CWE-190Published: January 25, 2019· Updated: Jun 17, 2026
7.5
CVSS v3.1
Official Description
A denial of service vulnerability was found in rsyslog in the imptcp module. An attacker could send a specially crafted message to the imptcp socket, which would cause rsyslog to crash. Versions before 8.27.0 are vulnerable.
Technical Analysis
CVE-2018-16881 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 availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 7.5.
CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown
Exploitability
Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.None
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityNone
IntegrityNone
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Affected Vendors & Products
Debian1 product(s)
debian linux
Red Hat11 product(s)
virtualization managerenterprise linux desktopenterprise linux for ibm z systemsenterprise linux for power big endianenterprise linux for power little endianenterprise linux for scientific computingenterprise linux serverenterprise linux workstationvirtualizationvirtualization hostenterprise linux
rsyslog1 product(s)
rsyslog
Source: NVD CPE · 13 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
All References (12)
→
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHBA-2019:2501Third Party Advisory
→
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:2110Third Party Advisory
→
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:2437Third Party Advisory
→
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:2439Third Party Advisory
→
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=CVE-2018-16881Issue Tracking · Mitigation · Patch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2022/05/msg00028.htmlMailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHBA-2019:2501Third Party Advisory
→
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:2110Third Party Advisory
→
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:2437Third Party Advisory
→
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:2439Third Party Advisory
→
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=CVE-2018-16881Issue Tracking · Mitigation · Patch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2022/05/msg00028.htmlMailing List · Third Party Advisory
Quick Facts
CVE IDCVE-2018-16881
CVSS Score7.5 / 10
SeverityHIGH
WeaknessCWE-190
CISA KEVNo
Affected3 vendor(s)
PublishedJan 25, 2019
Related CVEs (CWE-190)
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2018-16881 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.