How severe is CVE-2018-16837?

CVE-2018-16837 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2018-16837 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (27th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2018-16837?

CVE-2018-16837 primarily affects Redhat Ansible Engine. In total, 8 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2018-16837?

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-2018-16837 published?

CVE-2018-16837 was published on 2018-10-23 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2018-16837

CVE-2018-16837 is a high-severity vulnerability in Redhat Ansible Engine 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-311.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
CVSS v2: 2.1
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (27th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-311
Affected product: Redhat Ansible Engine
Published: 2018-10-23
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Ansible "User" module leaks any data which is passed on as a parameter to ssh-keygen. This could lean in undesirable situations such as passphrases credentials passed as a parameter for the ssh-keygen executable. Showing those credentials in clear text form for every user which have access just to the process list.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-16837?: Ansible "User" module leaks any data which is passed on as a parameter to ssh-keygen. This could lean in undesirable situations such as passphrases credentials passed as a parameter for the ssh-keygen executable. Showing those credentials in clear text form for every user which have access just to the process list.
How severe is CVE-2018-16837?: CVE-2018-16837 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2018-16837 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (27th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2018-16837?: CVE-2018-16837 primarily affects Redhat Ansible Engine. In total, 8 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2018-16837?: 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-2018-16837 published?: CVE-2018-16837 was published on 2018-10-23 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (8)

cpe:2.3:a:redhat:ansible_engine:2.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:redhat:ansible_engine:2.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:redhat:ansible_engine:2.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:redhat:ansible_engine:2.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:redhat:ansible_tower:3.3.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:suse:package_hub:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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