HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2018-19490
HIGH

CVE-2018-19490

CWE-787Published: November 23, 2018· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

7.8
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

An issue was discovered in datafile.c in Gnuplot 5.2.5. This issue allows an attacker to conduct a heap-based buffer overflow with an arbitrary amount of data in df_generate_ascii_array_entry. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker must pass an overlong string as the right bound of the range argument that is passed to the plot function.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2018-19490 requires local access, meaning attackers must already have a foothold on the target system.

Exploitation does not require any privileges, though user interaction (Required) is needed, which slightly reduces the risk of mass automated attacks.

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 7.8.

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 VectorLocal
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.None
User InteractionRequired
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

Debian1 product(s)
debian linux
gnuplot1 product(s)
gnuplot
openSUSE1 product(s)
leap
Source: NVD CPE · 3 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

PATCHhttps://sourceforge.net/p/gnuplot/gnuplot-main/ci/d5020716834582b20a5e12cdd49f39ee4f9dd949/
PATCHhttps://sourceforge.net/p/gnuplot/gnuplot-main/ci/d5020716834582b20a5e12cdd49f39ee4f9dd949/
ADVISORYhttp://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-04/msg00066.html
ADVISORYhttps://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2018/11/msg00031.html
ADVISORYhttps://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2018/11/msg00035.html
ADVISORYhttps://sourceforge.net/p/gnuplot/bugs/2093/
ADVISORYhttp://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-04/msg00066.html
ADVISORYhttps://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2018/11/msg00031.html
ADVISORYhttps://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2018/11/msg00035.html
ADVISORYhttps://sourceforge.net/p/gnuplot/bugs/2093/

All References (12)

→
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-04/msg00066.htmlMailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2018/11/msg00031.htmlMailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2018/11/msg00035.htmlMailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
https://sourceforge.net/p/gnuplot/bugs/2093/Exploit · Third Party Advisory
→
https://sourceforge.net/p/gnuplot/gnuplot-main/ci/d5020716834582b20a5e12cdd49f39ee4f9dd949/Patch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://usn.ubuntu.com/4541-1/
→
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-04/msg00066.htmlMailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2018/11/msg00031.htmlMailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2018/11/msg00035.htmlMailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
https://sourceforge.net/p/gnuplot/bugs/2093/Exploit · Third Party Advisory
→
https://sourceforge.net/p/gnuplot/gnuplot-main/ci/d5020716834582b20a5e12cdd49f39ee4f9dd949/Patch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://usn.ubuntu.com/4541-1/

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2018-19490
CVSS Score7.8 / 10
SeverityHIGH
WeaknessCWE-787
CISA KEVNo
Affected3 vendor(s)
PublishedNov 23, 2018

Related CVEs (CWE-787)

CVE-2014-1478
10.0
CVE-2011-1807
10.0
CVE-2002-2227
10.0
CVE-2026-4746
10.0
CVE-2004-0978
10.0
CVE-2015-5105
10.0

Recommended Actions

  • →Apply vendor patches immediately
  • →Monitor CVE-2018-19490 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.
← All Vulnerabilities·Search for CVE-2018-19490·NVD