How severe is CVE-2018-16646?

CVE-2018-16646 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2018-16646 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 3% (85th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2018-16646?

CVE-2018-16646 primarily affects Freedesktop Poppler. In total, 6 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2018-16646?

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

When was CVE-2018-16646 published?

CVE-2018-16646 was published on 2018-09-06 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2018-16646

CVE-2018-16646 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Freedesktop Poppler with a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.5. 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-835.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 6.5)
CVSS v2: 4.3
EPSS exploit prediction: 3% (85th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-835
Affected product: Freedesktop Poppler
Published: 2018-09-06
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

In Poppler 0.68.0, the Parser::getObj() function in Parser.cc may cause infinite recursion via a crafted file. A remote attacker can leverage this for a DoS attack.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-16646?: In Poppler 0.68.0, the Parser::getObj() function in Parser.cc may cause infinite recursion via a crafted file. A remote attacker can leverage this for a DoS attack.
How severe is CVE-2018-16646?: CVE-2018-16646 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2018-16646 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 3% (85th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2018-16646?: CVE-2018-16646 primarily affects Freedesktop Poppler. In total, 6 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2018-16646?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2018-16646 published?: CVE-2018-16646 was published on 2018-09-06 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (6)

cpe:2.3:a:freedesktop:poppler:0.68.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
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:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:18.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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