How severe is CVE-2018-16864?

CVE-2018-16864 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-2018-16864 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (49th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2018-16864?

CVE-2018-16864 primarily affects Redhat Enterprise Linux Desktop. In total, 23 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2018-16864?

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-2018-16864 published?

CVE-2018-16864 was published on 2019-01-11 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2018-16864

CVE-2018-16864 is a high-severity vulnerability in Redhat Enterprise Linux Desktop 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-770.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
CVSS v2: 4.6
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (49th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-770
Affected product: Redhat Enterprise Linux Desktop
Published: 2019-01-11
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

An allocation of memory without limits, that could result in the stack clashing with another memory region, was discovered in systemd-journald when a program with long command line arguments calls syslog. A local attacker may use this flaw to crash systemd-journald or escalate his privileges. Versions through v240 are vulnerable.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-16864?: An allocation of memory without limits, that could result in the stack clashing with another memory region, was discovered in systemd-journald when a program with long command line arguments calls syslog. A local attacker may use this flaw to crash systemd-journald or escalate his privileges. Versions through v240 are vulnerable.
How severe is CVE-2018-16864?: CVE-2018-16864 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-2018-16864 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (49th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2018-16864?: CVE-2018-16864 primarily affects Redhat Enterprise Linux Desktop. In total, 23 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2018-16864?: 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-2018-16864 published?: CVE-2018-16864 was published on 2019-01-11 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (23)

cpe:2.3:a:systemd_project:systemd:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_desktop:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server:7.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server:7.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server:7.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_aus:7.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_aus:7.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_eus:7.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_eus:7.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_tus:7.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_tus:7.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_workstation:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
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:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:oracle:communications_session_border_controller:8.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:oracle:communications_session_border_controller:8.1.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:oracle:communications_session_border_controller:8.2.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:oracle:enterprise_communications_broker:3.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:oracle:enterprise_communications_broker:3.1.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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