How severe is CVE-2018-18389?

CVE-2018-18389 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2018-18389 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-2018-18389?

CVE-2018-18389 affects Neo4j. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2018-18389?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2018-18389 published?

CVE-2018-18389 was published on 2018-10-16 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2018-18389

CVE-2018-18389 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Neo4j with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8. 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-287.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.8)
CVSS v2: 7.5
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (78th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-287
Affected product: Neo4j
Published: 2018-10-16
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Due to incorrect access control in Neo4j Enterprise Database Server 3.4.x before 3.4.9, the setting of LDAP for authentication with STARTTLS, and System Account for authorization, allows an attacker to log into the server by sending any valid username with an arbitrary password.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-18389?: Due to incorrect access control in Neo4j Enterprise Database Server 3.4.x before 3.4.9, the setting of LDAP for authentication with STARTTLS, and System Account for authorization, allows an attacker to log into the server by sending any valid username with an arbitrary password.
How severe is CVE-2018-18389?: CVE-2018-18389 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2018-18389 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-2018-18389?: CVE-2018-18389 affects Neo4j. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2018-18389?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2018-18389 published?: CVE-2018-18389 was published on 2018-10-16 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

https://github.com/neo4j/neo4j/issues/12047

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:neo4j:neo4j:*:*:*:*:enterprise:*:*:*

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