CVE-2018-16890

CVE-2018-16890 is a high-severity vulnerability in Redhat Enterprise Linux with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5. 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

Description

libcurl versions from 7.36.0 to before 7.64.0 is vulnerable to a heap buffer out-of-bounds read. The function handling incoming NTLM type-2 messages (`lib/vauth/ntlm.c:ntlm_decode_type2_target`) does not validate incoming data correctly and is subject to an integer overflow vulnerability. Using that overflow, a malicious or broken NTLM server could trick libcurl to accept a bad length + offset combination that would lead to a buffer read out-of-bounds.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-16890?
libcurl versions from 7.36.0 to before 7.64.0 is vulnerable to a heap buffer out-of-bounds read. The function handling incoming NTLM type-2 messages (`lib/vauth/ntlm.c:ntlm_decode_type2_target`) does not validate incoming data correctly and is subject to an integer overflow vulnerability. Using that overflow, a malicious or broken NTLM server could trick libcurl to accept a bad length + offset combination that would lead to a buffer read out-of-bounds.
How severe is CVE-2018-16890?
CVE-2018-16890 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2018-16890 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 5% (92nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2018-16890?
CVE-2018-16890 primarily affects Redhat Enterprise Linux. In total, 14 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2018-16890?
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-2018-16890 published?
CVE-2018-16890 was published on 2019-02-06 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (14)

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