CVE-2018-16588
CVE-2018-16588 is a high-severity vulnerability in Suse Shadow with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8. 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-732.
Key facts
- Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
- CVSS v2: 4.6
- EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (22nd percentile)
- Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
- Weakness: CWE-732
- Affected product: Suse Shadow
- Published:
- Last modified:
Description
Privilege escalation can occur in the SUSE useradd.c code in useradd, as distributed in the SUSE shadow package through 4.2.1-27.9.1 for SUSE Linux Enterprise 12 (SLE-12) and through 4.5-5.39 for SUSE Linux Enterprise 15 (SLE-15). Non-existing intermediate directories are created with mode 0777 during user creation. Given that they are world-writable, local attackers might use this for privilege escalation and other unspecified attacks. NOTE: this would affect non-SUSE users who took useradd.c code from a 2014-04-02 upstream pull request; however, no non-SUSE distribution is known to be affected.
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2018-16588?
- Privilege escalation can occur in the SUSE useradd.c code in useradd, as distributed in the SUSE shadow package through 4.2.1-27.9.1 for SUSE Linux Enterprise 12 (SLE-12) and through 4.5-5.39 for SUSE Linux Enterprise 15 (SLE-15). Non-existing intermediate directories are created with mode 0777 during user creation. Given that they are world-writable, local attackers might use this for privilege escalation and other unspecified attacks. NOTE: this would affect non-SUSE users who took useradd.c code from a 2014-04-02 upstream pull request; however, no non-SUSE distribution is known to be affected.
- How severe is CVE-2018-16588?
- CVE-2018-16588 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
- Is CVE-2018-16588 being actively exploited?
- It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (22nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
- What products are affected by CVE-2018-16588?
- CVE-2018-16588 affects Suse Shadow. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
- How do I fix CVE-2018-16588?
- 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-2018-16588 published?
- CVE-2018-16588 was published on 2018-09-26 and last updated on 2026-06-17.
References
Affected products (1)
- cpe:2.3:a:suse:shadow:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
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