How severe is CVE-2018-1161?

CVE-2018-1161 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-2018-1161 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 67% (99th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2018-1161?

CVE-2018-1161 affects Quest Netvault Backup. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2018-1161?

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-2018-1161 published?

CVE-2018-1161 was published on 2018-02-08 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2018-1161

CVE-2018-1161 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Quest Netvault Backup with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score of 67% places it in the 99th percentile, indicating an elevated likelihood of exploitation. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-20.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.8)
CVSS v2: 10.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 67% (99th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-20
Affected product: Quest Netvault Backup
Published: 2018-02-08
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on vulnerable installations of Quest NetVault Backup 11.2.0.13. Authentication is not required to exploit this vulnerability. The specific flaw exists within nvwsworker.exe. When parsing the boundary header of a multipart request, the process does not properly validate the length of user-supplied data prior to copying it to a stack-based buffer. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code under the context of SYSTEM. Was ZDI-CAN-4215.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-1161?: This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on vulnerable installations of Quest NetVault Backup 11.2.0.13. Authentication is not required to exploit this vulnerability. The specific flaw exists within nvwsworker.exe. When parsing the boundary header of a multipart request, the process does not properly validate the length of user-supplied data prior to copying it to a stack-based buffer. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code under the context of SYSTEM. Was ZDI-CAN-4215.
How severe is CVE-2018-1161?: CVE-2018-1161 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-2018-1161 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 67% (99th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2018-1161?: CVE-2018-1161 affects Quest Netvault Backup. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2018-1161?: 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-2018-1161 published?: CVE-2018-1161 was published on 2018-02-08 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

https://zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-18-004

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:quest:netvault_backup:11.2.0.13:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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