How severe is CVE-2018-14646?

CVE-2018-14646 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2018-14646 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (31st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2018-14646?

CVE-2018-14646 primarily affects Redhat Enterprise Linux Desktop. In total, 15 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2018-14646?

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

When was CVE-2018-14646 published?

CVE-2018-14646 was published on 2018-11-26 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2018-14646

CVE-2018-14646 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Redhat Enterprise Linux Desktop with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5. 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-476.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 5.5)
CVSS v2: 4.9
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (31st percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-476
Affected product: Redhat Enterprise Linux Desktop
Published: 2018-11-26
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

The Linux kernel before 4.15-rc8 was found to be vulnerable to a NULL pointer dereference bug in the __netlink_ns_capable() function in the net/netlink/af_netlink.c file. A local attacker could exploit this when a net namespace with a netnsid is assigned to cause a kernel panic and a denial of service.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-14646?: The Linux kernel before 4.15-rc8 was found to be vulnerable to a NULL pointer dereference bug in the __netlink_ns_capable() function in the net/netlink/af_netlink.c file. A local attacker could exploit this when a net namespace with a netnsid is assigned to cause a kernel panic and a denial of service.
How severe is CVE-2018-14646?: CVE-2018-14646 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2018-14646 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (31st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2018-14646?: CVE-2018-14646 primarily affects Redhat Enterprise Linux Desktop. In total, 15 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2018-14646?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2018-14646 published?: CVE-2018-14646 was published on 2018-11-26 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (15)

cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:4.15:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:4.15:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:4.15:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:4.15:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:4.15:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:4.15:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:4.15:rc7:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_desktop:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_aus:7.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_eus:7.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_eus:7.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_tus:7.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_workstation:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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