How severe is CVE-2018-16888?

CVE-2018-16888 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.7, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with high attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2018-16888 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (22nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2018-16888?

CVE-2018-16888 primarily affects Redhat Enterprise Linux. In total, 7 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2018-16888?

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

When was CVE-2018-16888 published?

CVE-2018-16888 was published on 2019-01-14 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2018-16888

CVE-2018-16888 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Redhat Enterprise Linux with a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.7. 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-269.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 4.7)
CVSS v2: 1.9
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (22nd percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-269
Affected product: Redhat Enterprise Linux
Published: 2019-01-14
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

It was discovered systemd does not correctly check the content of PIDFile files before using it to kill processes. When a service is run from an unprivileged user (e.g. User field set in the service file), a local attacker who is able to write to the PIDFile of the mentioned service may use this flaw to trick systemd into killing other services and/or privileged processes. Versions before v237 are vulnerable.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-16888?: It was discovered systemd does not correctly check the content of PIDFile files before using it to kill processes. When a service is run from an unprivileged user (e.g. User field set in the service file), a local attacker who is able to write to the PIDFile of the mentioned service may use this flaw to trick systemd into killing other services and/or privileged processes. Versions before v237 are vulnerable.
How severe is CVE-2018-16888?: CVE-2018-16888 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.7, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with high attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2018-16888 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (22nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2018-16888?: CVE-2018-16888 primarily affects Redhat Enterprise Linux. In total, 7 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2018-16888?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2018-16888 published?: CVE-2018-16888 was published on 2019-01-14 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (7)

cpe:2.3:a:systemd_project:systemd:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:16.04:*:*:*:esm:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:18.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:19.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:netapp:active_iq_performance_analytics_services:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:netapp:element_software:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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