HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2018-21268
CRITICAL

CVE-2018-21268

CWE-74Published: June 25, 2020· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

9.8
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

The traceroute (aka node-traceroute) package through 1.0.0 for Node.js allows remote command injection via the host parameter. This occurs because the Child.exec() method, which is considered to be not entirely safe, is used. In particular, an OS command can be placed after a newline character.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2018-21268 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.

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

traceroute_project1 product(s)
traceroute
Source: NVD CPE · 1 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://github.com/jaw187/node-traceroute/commit/b99ee024a01a40d3d20a92ad3769cc78a3f6386f
PATCHhttps://github.com/jaw187/node-traceroute/commit/b99ee024a01a40d3d20a92ad3769cc78a3f6386f
ADVISORYhttps://github.com/jaw187/node-traceroute/tags
ADVISORYhttps://snyk.io/vuln/npm:traceroute:20160311
ADVISORYhttps://www.linkedin.com/posts/op-innovate_shell-command-injection-through-traceroute-activity-6678956453086191616-Rcpy
ADVISORYhttps://www.npmjs.com/advisories/1465
ADVISORYhttps://www.npmjs.com/package/traceroute
ADVISORYhttps://www.op-c.net/2020/06/17/shell-command-injection-through-traceroute-npm-package/
ADVISORYhttps://github.com/jaw187/node-traceroute/tags
ADVISORYhttps://snyk.io/vuln/npm:traceroute:20160311
ADVISORYhttps://www.linkedin.com/posts/op-innovate_shell-command-injection-through-traceroute-activity-6678956453086191616-Rcpy
ADVISORYhttps://www.npmjs.com/advisories/1465
ADVISORYhttps://www.npmjs.com/package/traceroute
ADVISORYhttps://www.op-c.net/2020/06/17/shell-command-injection-through-traceroute-npm-package/

All References (16)

→
https://github.com/jaw187/node-traceroute/commit/b99ee024a01a40d3d20a92ad3769cc78a3f6386fPatch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://github.com/jaw187/node-traceroute/tagsThird Party Advisory
→
https://medium.com/%40shay_62828/shell-command-injection-through-traceroute-npm-package-a4cf7b6553e3
→
https://snyk.io/vuln/npm:traceroute:20160311Exploit · Third Party Advisory
→
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/op-innovate_shell-command-injection-through-traceroute-activity-6678956453086191616-RcpyThird Party Advisory
→
https://www.npmjs.com/advisories/1465Third Party Advisory
→
https://www.npmjs.com/package/tracerouteProduct · Third Party Advisory
→
https://www.op-c.net/2020/06/17/shell-command-injection-through-traceroute-npm-package/Exploit · Third Party Advisory
→
https://github.com/jaw187/node-traceroute/commit/b99ee024a01a40d3d20a92ad3769cc78a3f6386fPatch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://github.com/jaw187/node-traceroute/tagsThird Party Advisory
→
https://medium.com/%40shay_62828/shell-command-injection-through-traceroute-npm-package-a4cf7b6553e3
→
https://snyk.io/vuln/npm:traceroute:20160311Exploit · Third Party Advisory
→
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/op-innovate_shell-command-injection-through-traceroute-activity-6678956453086191616-RcpyThird Party Advisory
→
https://www.npmjs.com/advisories/1465Third Party Advisory
→
https://www.npmjs.com/package/tracerouteProduct · Third Party Advisory

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2018-21268
CVSS Score9.8 / 10
SeverityCRITICAL
WeaknessCWE-74
CISA KEVNo
Affected1 vendor(s)
PublishedJun 25, 2020

Related CVEs (CWE-74)

CVE-2026-44182
10.0
CVE-2026-54159
10.0
CVE-2026-25520
10.0
CVE-2020-26282
10.0
CVE-2026-25586
10.0
CVE-2022-24760
10.0

Recommended Actions

  • →Apply vendor patches immediately
  • →Monitor CVE-2018-21268 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.
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