How severe is CVE-2017-18018?

CVE-2017-18018 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.1, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability none.

Is CVE-2017-18018 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (27th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2017-18018?

CVE-2017-18018 affects Gnu Coreutils. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2017-18018?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2017-18018 published?

CVE-2017-18018 was published on 2018-01-04 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2017-18018

CVE-2017-18018 is a high-severity vulnerability in Gnu Coreutils with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.1. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-362.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.1)
CVSS v2: 1.9
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (27th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-362
Affected product: Gnu Coreutils
Published: 2018-01-04
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

In GNU Coreutils through 8.29, chown-core.c in chown and chgrp does not prevent replacement of a plain file with a symlink during use of the POSIX "-R -L" options, which allows local users to modify the ownership of arbitrary files by leveraging a race condition.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2017-18018?: In GNU Coreutils through 8.29, chown-core.c in chown and chgrp does not prevent replacement of a plain file with a symlink during use of the POSIX "-R -L" options, which allows local users to modify the ownership of arbitrary files by leveraging a race condition.
How severe is CVE-2017-18018?: CVE-2017-18018 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.1, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability none.
Is CVE-2017-18018 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (27th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2017-18018?: CVE-2017-18018 affects Gnu Coreutils. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2017-18018?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2017-18018 published?: CVE-2017-18018 was published on 2018-01-04 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/coreutils/2017-12/msg00045.html

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:gnu:coreutils:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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