HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2018-9233
HIGHPOC

CVE-2018-9233

CWE-916Published: April 5, 2018· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

7.8
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

Sophos Endpoint Protection 10.7 uses an unsalted SHA-1 hash for password storage in %PROGRAMDATA%\Sophos\Sophos Anti-Virus\Config\machine.xml, which makes it easier for attackers to determine a cleartext password, and subsequently choose unsafe malware settings, via rainbow tables or other approaches.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2018-9233 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.

A proof-of-concept (PoC) exploit exists for CVE-2018-9233. While not yet confirmed in active campaigns, the availability of PoC code increases exploitation risk substantially.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorLocal
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.Low
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

sophos1 product(s)
endpoint protection
Source: NVD CPE · 1 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

POC AVAILABLEProof-of-concept code exists
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://hyp3rlinx.altervista.org/advisories/SOPHOS-ENDPOINT-PROTECTION-CONTROL-PANEL-v10.7-INSECURE-CRYPTO-CVE-2018-9233.txt
ADVISORYhttp://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2018/Apr/7
ADVISORYhttps://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/44411/
ADVISORYhttp://hyp3rlinx.altervista.org/advisories/SOPHOS-ENDPOINT-PROTECTION-CONTROL-PANEL-v10.7-INSECURE-CRYPTO-CVE-2018-9233.txt
ADVISORYhttp://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2018/Apr/7
ADVISORYhttps://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/44411/

All References (6)

→
http://hyp3rlinx.altervista.org/advisories/SOPHOS-ENDPOINT-PROTECTION-CONTROL-PANEL-v10.7-INSECURE-CRYPTO-CVE-2018-9233.txtExploit · Third Party Advisory
→
http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2018/Apr/7Exploit · Mailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/44411/Exploit · Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry
→
http://hyp3rlinx.altervista.org/advisories/SOPHOS-ENDPOINT-PROTECTION-CONTROL-PANEL-v10.7-INSECURE-CRYPTO-CVE-2018-9233.txtExploit · Third Party Advisory
→
http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2018/Apr/7Exploit · Mailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/44411/Exploit · Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2018-9233
CVSS Score7.8 / 10
SeverityHIGH
WeaknessCWE-916
CISA KEVNo
ExploitPOC
Affected1 vendor(s)
PublishedApr 5, 2018

Related CVEs (CWE-916)

CVE-2020-14516
10.0
CVE-2005-0408
9.8
CVE-2024-5743
9.8
CVE-2021-36767
9.8
CVE-2018-15680
9.8
CVE-2019-17216
9.8

Recommended Actions

  • →Apply vendor patches immediately
  • →Monitor CVE-2018-9233 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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