How severe is CVE-2018-16866?

CVE-2018-16866 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 3.3, rated low severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is low, integrity none, and availability none.

Is CVE-2018-16866 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (60th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2018-16866?

CVE-2018-16866 primarily affects Redhat Enterprise Linux. In total, 27 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2018-16866?

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

When was CVE-2018-16866 published?

CVE-2018-16866 was published on 2019-01-11 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2018-16866

CVE-2018-16866 is a low-severity vulnerability in Redhat Enterprise Linux with a CVSS 3.x base score of 3.3. 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-125.

Key facts

Severity: Low (CVSS 3.x base score 3.3)
CVSS v2: 2.1
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (60th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-125
Affected product: Redhat Enterprise Linux
Published: 2019-01-11
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

An out of bounds read was discovered in systemd-journald in the way it parses log messages that terminate with a colon ':'. A local attacker can use this flaw to disclose process memory data. Versions from v221 to v239 are vulnerable.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-16866?: An out of bounds read was discovered in systemd-journald in the way it parses log messages that terminate with a colon ':'. A local attacker can use this flaw to disclose process memory data. Versions from v221 to v239 are vulnerable.
How severe is CVE-2018-16866?: CVE-2018-16866 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 3.3, rated low severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is low, integrity none, and availability none.
Is CVE-2018-16866 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (60th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2018-16866?: CVE-2018-16866 primarily affects Redhat Enterprise Linux. In total, 27 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2018-16866?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2018-16866 published?: CVE-2018-16866 was published on 2019-01-11 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (27)

cpe:2.3:a:systemd_project:systemd:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
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:netapp:active_iq_performance_analytics_services:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:netapp:element_software:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux:7.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_compute_node_eus:7.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_desktop:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_ibm_z_systems_\(structure_a\):7_s390x:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_ibm_z_systems_eus:7.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_power_big_endian:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_power_big_endian_eus:7.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_power_little_endian:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_power_little_endian_eus:7.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_scientific_computing:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_aus:7.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_aus:7.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_for_power_little_endian_update_services_for_sap_solutions:7.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_for_power_little_endian_update_services_for_sap_solutions:7.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_tus:7.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_tus:7.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_update_services_for_sap_solutions:7.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_update_services_for_sap_solutions:7.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_workstation:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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