MEDIUM
CVE-2018-6198
CWE-59Published: January 25, 2018· Updated: Jun 17, 2026
4.7
CVSS v3.1
Official Description
w3m through 0.5.3 does not properly handle temporary files when the ~/.w3m directory is unwritable, which allows a local attacker to craft a symlink attack to overwrite arbitrary files.
Technical Analysis
CVE-2018-6198 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 full integrity compromise (data manipulation), with a CVSS base score of 4.7.
CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown
Exploitability
Attack VectorLocal
Attack ComplexityHigh
Privileges Req.Low
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityNone
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityNone
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
Affected Vendors & Products
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
ADVISORYhttps://usn.ubuntu.com/3555-1/
ADVISORYhttps://usn.ubuntu.com/3555-2/
ADVISORYhttps://usn.ubuntu.com/3555-1/
ADVISORYhttps://usn.ubuntu.com/3555-2/
All References (14)
→
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/102855Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry
→
https://bugs.debian.org/888097Issue Tracking · Patch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://github.com/tats/w3m/commit/18dcbadf2771cdb0c18509b14e4e73505b242753Patch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://salsa.debian.org/debian/w3m/commit/18dcbadf2771cdb0c18509b14e4e73505b242753Patch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://usn.ubuntu.com/3555-1/Third Party Advisory
→
https://usn.ubuntu.com/3555-2/Third Party Advisory
→
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/102855Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry
→
https://bugs.debian.org/888097Issue Tracking · Patch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://github.com/tats/w3m/commit/18dcbadf2771cdb0c18509b14e4e73505b242753Patch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://salsa.debian.org/debian/w3m/commit/18dcbadf2771cdb0c18509b14e4e73505b242753Patch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://usn.ubuntu.com/3555-1/Third Party Advisory
→
https://usn.ubuntu.com/3555-2/Third Party Advisory
Quick Facts
CVE IDCVE-2018-6198
CVSS Score4.7 / 10
SeverityMEDIUM
WeaknessCWE-59
CISA KEVNo
Affected2 vendor(s)
PublishedJan 25, 2018
Related CVEs (CWE-59)
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2018-6198 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.