How severe is CVE-2018-10853?

CVE-2018-10853 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.0, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with high attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2018-10853 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (37th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2018-10853?

CVE-2018-10853 primarily affects Canonical Ubuntu Linux. In total, 4 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2018-10853?

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-2018-10853 published?

CVE-2018-10853 was published on 2018-09-11 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2018-10853

CVE-2018-10853 is a high-severity vulnerability in Canonical Ubuntu Linux with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.0. 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-269.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.0)
CVSS v2: 4.6
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (37th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-269
Affected product: Canonical Ubuntu Linux
Published: 2018-09-11
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

A flaw was found in the way Linux kernel KVM hypervisor before 4.18 emulated instructions such as sgdt/sidt/fxsave/fxrstor. It did not check current privilege(CPL) level while emulating unprivileged instructions. An unprivileged guest user/process could use this flaw to potentially escalate privileges inside guest.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-10853?: A flaw was found in the way Linux kernel KVM hypervisor before 4.18 emulated instructions such as sgdt/sidt/fxsave/fxrstor. It did not check current privilege(CPL) level while emulating unprivileged instructions. An unprivileged guest user/process could use this flaw to potentially escalate privileges inside guest.
How severe is CVE-2018-10853?: CVE-2018-10853 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.0, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with high attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2018-10853 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (37th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2018-10853?: CVE-2018-10853 primarily affects Canonical Ubuntu Linux. In total, 4 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2018-10853?: 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-2018-10853 published?: CVE-2018-10853 was published on 2018-09-11 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (4)

cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:16.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:18.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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