How severe is CVE-2018-20211?

CVE-2018-20211 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2018-20211 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (69th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2018-20211?

CVE-2018-20211 affects Exiftool Project Exiftool. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2018-20211?

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-2018-20211 published?

CVE-2018-20211 was published on 2019-01-02 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2018-20211

CVE-2018-20211 is a high-severity vulnerability in Exiftool Project Exiftool with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8. 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-427.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
CVSS v2: 6.8
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (69th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-427
Affected product: Exiftool Project Exiftool
Published: 2019-01-02
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

ExifTool 8.32 allows local users to gain privileges by creating a %TEMP%\par-%username%\cache-exiftool-8.32 folder with a victim's username, and then copying a Trojan horse ws32_32.dll file into this new folder, aka DLL Hijacking. NOTE: 8.32 is an obsolete version from 2010 (9.x was released starting in 2012, and 10.x was released starting in 2015).

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-20211?: ExifTool 8.32 allows local users to gain privileges by creating a %TEMP%\par-%username%\cache-exiftool-8.32 folder with a victim's username, and then copying a Trojan horse ws32_32.dll file into this new folder, aka DLL Hijacking. NOTE: 8.32 is an obsolete version from 2010 (9.x was released starting in 2012, and 10.x was released starting in 2015).
How severe is CVE-2018-20211?: CVE-2018-20211 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2018-20211 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (69th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2018-20211?: CVE-2018-20211 affects Exiftool Project Exiftool. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2018-20211?: 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-2018-20211 published?: CVE-2018-20211 was published on 2019-01-02 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:exiftool_project:exiftool:8.32:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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Other CWE-427 (Uncontrolled Search Path Element) vulnerabilities

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