How severe is CVE-2018-12232?

CVE-2018-12232 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.9, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with high attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2018-12232 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 7% (93rd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2018-12232?

CVE-2018-12232 affects Linux Linux Kernel. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2018-12232?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2018-12232 published?

CVE-2018-12232 was published on 2018-06-12 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2018-12232

CVE-2018-12232 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux Linux Kernel with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.9. 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: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 5.9)
CVSS v2: 7.1
EPSS exploit prediction: 7% (93rd percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-362
Affected product: Linux Linux Kernel
Published: 2018-06-12
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

In net/socket.c in the Linux kernel through 4.17.1, there is a race condition between fchownat and close in cases where they target the same socket file descriptor, related to the sock_close and sockfs_setattr functions. fchownat does not increment the file descriptor reference count, which allows close to set the socket to NULL during fchownat's execution, leading to a NULL pointer dereference and system crash.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-12232?: In net/socket.c in the Linux kernel through 4.17.1, there is a race condition between fchownat and close in cases where they target the same socket file descriptor, related to the sock_close and sockfs_setattr functions. fchownat does not increment the file descriptor reference count, which allows close to set the socket to NULL during fchownat's execution, leading to a NULL pointer dereference and system crash.
How severe is CVE-2018-12232?: CVE-2018-12232 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.9, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with high attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2018-12232 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 7% (93rd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2018-12232?: CVE-2018-12232 affects Linux Linux Kernel. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2018-12232?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2018-12232 published?: CVE-2018-12232 was published on 2018-06-12 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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