How severe is CVE-2018-11479?

CVE-2018-11479 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, 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 high.

Is CVE-2018-11479 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 10% (95th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2018-11479?

CVE-2018-11479 affects Windscribe. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2018-11479?

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-2018-11479 published?

CVE-2018-11479 was published on 2018-05-25 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2018-11479

CVE-2018-11479 is a high-severity vulnerability in Windscribe with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8. 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-20.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
CVSS v2: 7.2
EPSS exploit prediction: 10% (95th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-20
Affected product: Windscribe
Published: 2018-05-25
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

The VPN component in Windscribe 1.81 uses the OpenVPN client for connections. Also, it creates a WindScribeService.exe system process that establishes a \\.\pipe\WindscribeService named pipe endpoint that allows the Windscribe VPN process to connect and execute an OpenVPN process or other processes (like taskkill, etc.). There is no validation of the program name before constructing the lpCommandLine argument for a CreateProcess call. An attacker can run any malicious process with SYSTEM privileges through this named pipe.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-11479?: The VPN component in Windscribe 1.81 uses the OpenVPN client for connections. Also, it creates a WindScribeService.exe system process that establishes a \\.\pipe\WindscribeService named pipe endpoint that allows the Windscribe VPN process to connect and execute an OpenVPN process or other processes (like taskkill, etc.). There is no validation of the program name before constructing the lpCommandLine argument for a CreateProcess call. An attacker can run any malicious process with SYSTEM privileges through this named pipe.
How severe is CVE-2018-11479?: CVE-2018-11479 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, 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 high.
Is CVE-2018-11479 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 10% (95th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2018-11479?: CVE-2018-11479 affects Windscribe. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2018-11479?: 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-2018-11479 published?: CVE-2018-11479 was published on 2018-05-25 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:windscribe:windscribe:1.81:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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