How severe is CVE-2018-16948?

CVE-2018-16948 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 high, integrity none, and availability none.

Is CVE-2018-16948 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (78th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2018-16948?

CVE-2018-16948 primarily affects Openafs. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2018-16948?

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-2018-16948 published?

CVE-2018-16948 was published on 2018-09-12 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2018-16948

CVE-2018-16948 is a high-severity vulnerability in Openafs 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-200.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.5)
CVSS v2: 5.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (78th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-200
Affected product: Openafs
Published: 2018-09-12
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

An issue was discovered in OpenAFS before 1.6.23 and 1.8.x before 1.8.2. Several RPC server routines did not fully initialize their output variables before returning, leaking memory contents from both the stack and the heap. Because the OpenAFS cache manager functions as an Rx server for the AFSCB service, clients are also susceptible to information leakage. For example, RXAFSCB_TellMeAboutYourself leaks kernel memory and KAM_ListEntry leaks kaserver memory.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-16948?: An issue was discovered in OpenAFS before 1.6.23 and 1.8.x before 1.8.2. Several RPC server routines did not fully initialize their output variables before returning, leaking memory contents from both the stack and the heap. Because the OpenAFS cache manager functions as an Rx server for the AFSCB service, clients are also susceptible to information leakage. For example, RXAFSCB_TellMeAboutYourself leaks kernel memory and KAM_ListEntry leaks kaserver memory.
How severe is CVE-2018-16948?: CVE-2018-16948 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 high, integrity none, and availability none.
Is CVE-2018-16948 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (78th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2018-16948?: CVE-2018-16948 primarily affects Openafs. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2018-16948?: 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-2018-16948 published?: CVE-2018-16948 was published on 2018-09-12 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (3)

cpe:2.3:a:openafs:openafs:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Openafs

CVE-2009-1251 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Heap-based buffer overflow in the cache manager in the client in OpenAFS 1.0 through 1.4.8 and 1.5.0 through 1.5.58 on…
CVE-2018-16947 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): An issue was discovered in OpenAFS before 1.6.23 and 1.8.x before 1.8.2. The backup tape controller (butc) process…
CVE-2024-10397 — High (CVSS 7.8): A malicious server can crash the OpenAFS cache manager and other client utilities, and possibly execute arbitrary code.
CVE-2024-10394 — High (CVSS 7.8): A local user can bypass the OpenAFS PAG (Process Authentication Group) throttling mechanism in Unix clients, allowing…
CVE-2015-8312 — High (CVSS 7.8): Off-by-one error in afs_pioctl.c in OpenAFS before 1.6.16 might allow local users to cause a denial of service (memory…
CVE-2009-1250 — High (CVSS 7.8): The cache manager in the client in OpenAFS 1.0 through 1.4.8 and 1.5.0 through 1.5.58, and IBM AFS 3.6 before Patch 19,…

All CVEs affecting Openafs →

Other CWE-200 (Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor) vulnerabilities

CVE-2026-27604 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): FOSSBilling is a free, open-source billing and client management system. Starting in version 0.5.4 and prior to version…
CVE-2026-40965 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Cloud Foundry UAA versions v76.12.0 through v78.12.0 are vulnerable to a private key exposure. The server contains a…
CVE-2026-42826 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Exposure of sensitive information to an unauthorized actor in Azure DevOps allows an unauthorized attacker to disclose…
CVE-2025-29270 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Incorrect access control in the realtime.cgi endpoint of Deep Sea Electronics devices DSE855 v1.1.0 to v1.1.26 allows…
CVE-2025-61481 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): An issue in MikroTik RouterOS v.7.14.2 and SwOS v.2.18 exposes the WebFig management interface over cleartext HTTP by…
CVE-2025-53624 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): The Docusaurus gists plugin adds a page to your Docusaurus instance, displaying all public gists of a GitHub user.…

Browse all CWE-200 (Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor) vulnerabilities →