How severe is CVE-2018-19788?

CVE-2018-19788 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2018-19788 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 11% (95th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2018-19788?

CVE-2018-19788 primarily affects Polkit Project Polkit. In total, 8 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2018-19788?

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-2018-19788 published?

CVE-2018-19788 was published on 2018-12-03 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2018-19788

CVE-2018-19788 is a high-severity vulnerability in Polkit Project Polkit with a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score of 11% places it in the 95th percentile, indicating an elevated likelihood of exploitation. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-20.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 8.8)
CVSS v2: 9.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 11% (95th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-20
Affected product: Polkit Project Polkit
Published: 2018-12-03
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

A flaw was found in PolicyKit (aka polkit) 0.115 that allows a user with a uid greater than INT_MAX to successfully execute any systemctl command.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-19788?: A flaw was found in PolicyKit (aka polkit) 0.115 that allows a user with a uid greater than INT_MAX to successfully execute any systemctl command.
How severe is CVE-2018-19788?: CVE-2018-19788 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2018-19788 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 11% (95th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2018-19788?: CVE-2018-19788 primarily affects Polkit Project Polkit. In total, 8 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2018-19788?: 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-2018-19788 published?: CVE-2018-19788 was published on 2018-12-03 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (8)

cpe:2.3:a:polkit_project:polkit:0.115:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:12.04:*:*:*:esm:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:14.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:16.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:18.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:18.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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