How severe is CVE-2018-15853?

CVE-2018-15853 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-2018-15853 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (41st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2018-15853?

CVE-2018-15853 primarily affects Xkbcommon Libxkbcommon. In total, 5 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2018-15853?

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

When was CVE-2018-15853 published?

CVE-2018-15853 was published on 2018-08-25 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2018-15853

CVE-2018-15853 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Xkbcommon Libxkbcommon 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-400.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 5.5)
CVSS v2: 2.1
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (41st percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-400
Affected product: Xkbcommon Libxkbcommon
Published: 2018-08-25
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Endless recursion exists in xkbcomp/expr.c in xkbcommon and libxkbcommon before 0.8.1, which could be used by local attackers to crash xkbcommon users by supplying a crafted keymap file that triggers boolean negation.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-15853?: Endless recursion exists in xkbcomp/expr.c in xkbcommon and libxkbcommon before 0.8.1, which could be used by local attackers to crash xkbcommon users by supplying a crafted keymap file that triggers boolean negation.
How severe is CVE-2018-15853?: CVE-2018-15853 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-2018-15853 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (41st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2018-15853?: CVE-2018-15853 primarily affects Xkbcommon Libxkbcommon. In total, 5 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2018-15853?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2018-15853 published?: CVE-2018-15853 was published on 2018-08-25 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (5)

cpe:2.3:a:xkbcommon:libxkbcommon:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:xkbcommon:xkbcommon:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:14.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:16.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:18.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Xkbcommon Libxkbcommon

CVE-2018-15857 — High (CVSS 7.8): An invalid free in ExprAppendMultiKeysymList in xkbcomp/ast-build.c in xkbcommon before 0.8.1 could be used by local…
CVE-2018-15864 — Medium (CVSS 5.5): Unchecked NULL pointer usage in resolve_keysym in xkbcomp/parser.y in xkbcommon before 0.8.2 could be used by local…
CVE-2018-15863 — Medium (CVSS 5.5): Unchecked NULL pointer usage in ResolveStateAndPredicate in xkbcomp/compat.c in xkbcommon before 0.8.2 could be used by…
CVE-2018-15862 — Medium (CVSS 5.5): Unchecked NULL pointer usage in LookupModMask in xkbcomp/expr.c in xkbcommon before 0.8.2 could be used by local…
CVE-2018-15861 — Medium (CVSS 5.5): Unchecked NULL pointer usage in ExprResolveLhs in xkbcomp/expr.c in xkbcommon before 0.8.2 could be used by local…
CVE-2018-15859 — Medium (CVSS 5.5): Unchecked NULL pointer usage when parsing invalid atoms in ExprResolveLhs in xkbcomp/expr.c in xkbcommon before 0.8.2…

All CVEs affecting Xkbcommon Libxkbcommon →

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