CVE-2018-14618

CVE-2018-14618 is a high-severity vulnerability in Redhat Enterprise Linux with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score of 11% places it in the 95th percentile, indicating an elevated likelihood of exploitation. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-190.

Key facts

Description

curl before version 7.61.1 is vulnerable to a buffer overrun in the NTLM authentication code. The internal function Curl_ntlm_core_mk_nt_hash multiplies the length of the password by two (SUM) to figure out how large temporary storage area to allocate from the heap. The length value is then subsequently used to iterate over the password and generate output into the allocated storage buffer. On systems with a 32 bit size_t, the math to calculate SUM triggers an integer overflow when the password length exceeds 2GB (2^31 bytes). This integer overflow usually causes a very small buffer to actually get allocated instead of the intended very huge one, making the use of that buffer end up in a heap buffer overflow. (This bug is almost identical to CVE-2017-8816.)

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-14618?
curl before version 7.61.1 is vulnerable to a buffer overrun in the NTLM authentication code. The internal function Curl_ntlm_core_mk_nt_hash multiplies the length of the password by two (SUM) to figure out how large temporary storage area to allocate from the heap. The length value is then subsequently used to iterate over the password and generate output into the allocated storage buffer. On systems with a 32 bit size_t, the math to calculate SUM triggers an integer overflow when the password length exceeds 2GB (2^31 bytes). This integer overflow usually causes a very small buffer to actually get allocated instead of the intended very huge one, making the use of that buffer end up in a heap buffer overflow. (This bug is almost identical to CVE-2017-8816.)
How severe is CVE-2018-14618?
CVE-2018-14618 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with high attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2018-14618 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 11% (95th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2018-14618?
CVE-2018-14618 primarily affects Redhat Enterprise Linux. In total, 11 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2018-14618?
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-2018-14618 published?
CVE-2018-14618 was published on 2018-09-05 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (11)

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