How severe is CVE-2018-16857?

CVE-2018-16857 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.4, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with high attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability none.

Is CVE-2018-16857 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (81st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2018-16857?

CVE-2018-16857 affects Samba. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2018-16857?

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-2018-16857 published?

CVE-2018-16857 was published on 2018-11-28 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2018-16857

CVE-2018-16857 is a high-severity vulnerability in Samba with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.4. 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-358.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.4)
CVSS v2: 4.3
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (81st percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-358
Affected product: Samba
Published: 2018-11-28
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Samba from version 4.9.0 and before version 4.9.3 that have AD DC configurations watching for bad passwords (to restrict brute forcing of passwords) in a window of more than 3 minutes may not watch for bad passwords at all. The primary risk from this issue is with regards to domains that have been upgraded from Samba 4.8 and earlier. In these cases the manual testing done to confirm an organisation's password policies apply as expected may not have been re-done after the upgrade.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-16857?: Samba from version 4.9.0 and before version 4.9.3 that have AD DC configurations watching for bad passwords (to restrict brute forcing of passwords) in a window of more than 3 minutes may not watch for bad passwords at all. The primary risk from this issue is with regards to domains that have been upgraded from Samba 4.8 and earlier. In these cases the manual testing done to confirm an organisation's password policies apply as expected may not have been re-done after the upgrade.
How severe is CVE-2018-16857?: CVE-2018-16857 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.4, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with high attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability none.
Is CVE-2018-16857 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (81st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2018-16857?: CVE-2018-16857 affects Samba. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2018-16857?: 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-2018-16857 published?: CVE-2018-16857 was published on 2018-11-28 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:samba:samba:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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