CVE-2018-10192

CVE-2018-10192 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Ipvanish with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low.

Key facts

Description

IPVanish 3.0.11 for macOS suffers from a root privilege escalation vulnerability. The `com.ipvanish.osx.vpnhelper` LaunchDaemon implements an insecure XPC service that could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code as the root user. IPVanish uses a third-party library for converting `xpc_object_t` types in to `NSObject` types for sending XPC messages. When IPVanish establishes a new connection, the following XPC message is sent to the `com.ipvanish.osx.vpnhelper` LaunchDaemon. Because the XPC service itself does not validate an incoming connection, any application installed on the operating system can send it XPC messages. In the case of the "connect" message, an attacker could manipulate the `OpenVPNPath` to point at a malicious binary on the system. The `com.ipvanish.osx.vpnhelper` would receive the VPNHelperConnect command, and then execute the malicious binary as the root user.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-10192?
IPVanish 3.0.11 for macOS suffers from a root privilege escalation vulnerability. The `com.ipvanish.osx.vpnhelper` LaunchDaemon implements an insecure XPC service that could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code as the root user. IPVanish uses a third-party library for converting `xpc_object_t` types in to `NSObject` types for sending XPC messages. When IPVanish establishes a new connection, the following XPC message is sent to the `com.ipvanish.osx.vpnhelper` LaunchDaemon. Because the XPC service itself does not validate an incoming connection, any application installed on the operating system can send it XPC messages. In the case of the "connect" message, an attacker could manipulate the `OpenVPNPath` to point at a malicious binary on the system. The `com.ipvanish.osx.vpnhelper` would receive the VPNHelperConnect command, and then execute the malicious binary as the root user.
How severe is CVE-2018-10192?
CVE-2018-10192 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2018-10192 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (82nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2018-10192?
CVE-2018-10192 affects Ipvanish. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2018-10192?
Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2018-10192 published?
CVE-2018-10192 was published on 2018-04-17 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)