HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2018-3971
HIGH

CVE-2018-3971

CWE-123Published: October 25, 2018· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

7.8
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

An exploitable arbitrary write vulnerability exists in the 0x2222CC IOCTL handler functionality of Sophos HitmanPro.Alert 3.7.6.744. A specially crafted IRP request can cause the driver to write data under controlled by an attacker address, resulting in memory corruption. An attacker can send IRP request to trigger this vulnerability.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2018-3971 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.

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.Low
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

sophos1 product(s)
hitmanpro.alert
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

ADVISORYhttp://www.securityfocus.com/bid/105743
ADVISORYhttps://www.talosintelligence.com/vulnerability_reports/TALOS-2018-0636
ADVISORYhttp://www.securityfocus.com/bid/105743
ADVISORYhttps://www.talosintelligence.com/vulnerability_reports/TALOS-2018-0636

All References (4)

→
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/105743Broken Link · Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry
→
https://www.talosintelligence.com/vulnerability_reports/TALOS-2018-0636Exploit · Third Party Advisory
→
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/105743Broken Link · Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry
→
https://www.talosintelligence.com/vulnerability_reports/TALOS-2018-0636Exploit · Third Party Advisory

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2018-3971
CVSS Score7.8 / 10
SeverityHIGH
WeaknessCWE-123
CISA KEVNo
Affected1 vendor(s)
PublishedOct 25, 2018

Related CVEs (CWE-123)

CVE-2022-38143
9.8
CVE-2015-8271
9.8
CVE-2025-69809
9.8
CVE-2020-2001
9.8
CVE-2021-38449
9.8
CVE-2024-42479
9.8

Recommended Actions

  • →Apply vendor patches immediately
  • →Monitor CVE-2018-3971 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.
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