HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2018-20167
HIGH

CVE-2018-20167

CWE-74Published: December 17, 2018· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

7.8
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

Terminology before 1.3.1 allows Remote Code Execution because popmedia is mishandled, as demonstrated by an unsafe "cat README.md" command when \e}pn is used. A popmedia control sequence can allow the malicious execution of executable file formats registered in the X desktop share MIME types (/usr/share/applications). The control sequence defers unknown file types to the handle_unknown_media() function, which executes xdg-open against the filename specified in the sequence. The use of xdg-open for all unknown file types allows executable file formats with a registered shared MIME type to be executed. An attacker can achieve remote code execution by introducing an executable file and a plain text file containing the control sequence through a fake software project (e.g., in Git or a tarball). When the control sequence is rendered (such as with cat), the executable file will be run.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2018-20167 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.

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

enlightenment1 product(s)
terminology
Source: NVD CPE · 1 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.

Official Patches & Advisories

All References (6)

https://phab.enlightenment.org/T7504Exploit · Mitigation · Vendor Advisory
https://phab.enlightenment.org/T7504Exploit · Mitigation · Vendor Advisory

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2018-20167
CVSS Score7.8 / 10
SeverityHIGH
WeaknessCWE-74
CISA KEVNo
Affected1 vendor(s)
PublishedDec 17, 2018

Related CVEs (CWE-74)

Recommended Actions

  • Apply vendor patches immediately
  • Monitor CVE-2018-20167 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.