How severe is CVE-2018-18979?

CVE-2018-18979 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.4, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with high attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability none.

Is CVE-2018-18979 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (64th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2018-18979?

CVE-2018-18979 affects Ascensia Contour Diabetes. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2018-18979?

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-2018-18979 published?

CVE-2018-18979 was published on 2019-05-06 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2018-18979

CVE-2018-18979 is a high-severity vulnerability in Ascensia Contour Diabetes with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.4. 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-798.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.4)
CVSS v2: 5.8
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (64th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-798
Affected product: Ascensia Contour Diabetes
Published: 2019-05-06
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

An issue was discovered in the Ascensia Contour NEXT ONE application for Android before 2019-01-15. It has a statically coded initialization vector. Extraction of the initialization vector is necessary for deciphering communications between this application and the backend server. This, in combination with retrieving any user's encrypted data from the Ascensia cloud through another vulnerability, allows an attacker to obtain and modify any patient's medical information.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-18979?: An issue was discovered in the Ascensia Contour NEXT ONE application for Android before 2019-01-15. It has a statically coded initialization vector. Extraction of the initialization vector is necessary for deciphering communications between this application and the backend server. This, in combination with retrieving any user's encrypted data from the Ascensia cloud through another vulnerability, allows an attacker to obtain and modify any patient's medical information.
How severe is CVE-2018-18979?: CVE-2018-18979 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.4, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with high attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability none.
Is CVE-2018-18979 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (64th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2018-18979?: CVE-2018-18979 affects Ascensia Contour Diabetes. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2018-18979?: 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-2018-18979 published?: CVE-2018-18979 was published on 2019-05-06 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

https://depthsecurity.com/blog/medical-exploitation-you-are-now-diabetic

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:ascensia:contour_diabetes:*:*:*:*:*:android:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Ascensia Contour Diabetes

CVE-2018-18977 — High (CVSS 7.5): An issue was discovered in the Ascensia Contour NEXT ONE application for Android before 2019-01-15. An attacker may…
CVE-2018-18975 — High (CVSS 7.5): An issue was discovered in the Ascensia Contour NEXT ONE app for iOS before 2019-01-15. An attacker may proxy…
CVE-2018-18978 — High (CVSS 7.4): An issue was discovered in the Ascensia Contour NEXT ONE application for Android before 2019-01-15. It has a statically…
CVE-2018-18976 — Medium (CVSS 5.3): An issue was discovered in the Ascensia Contour NEXT ONE application for iOS and Android before 2019-01-15. An attacker…

All CVEs affecting Ascensia Contour Diabetes →

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