How severe is CVE-2018-20542?

CVE-2018-20542 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2018-20542 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (77th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2018-20542?

CVE-2018-20542 affects Libxsmm Project Libxsmm. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2018-20542?

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-2018-20542 published?

CVE-2018-20542 was published on 2018-12-28 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2018-20542

CVE-2018-20542 is a high-severity vulnerability in Libxsmm Project Libxsmm with a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8. 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-119.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 8.8)
CVSS v2: 6.8
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (77th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-119
Affected product: Libxsmm Project Libxsmm
Published: 2018-12-28
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

There is a heap-based buffer-overflow at generator_spgemm_csc_reader.c (function libxsmm_sparse_csc_reader) in LIBXSMM 1.10, a different vulnerability than CVE-2018-20541 (which is in a different part of the source code and is seen at a different address).

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-20542?: There is a heap-based buffer-overflow at generator_spgemm_csc_reader.c (function libxsmm_sparse_csc_reader) in LIBXSMM 1.10, a different vulnerability than CVE-2018-20541 (which is in a different part of the source code and is seen at a different address).
How severe is CVE-2018-20542?: CVE-2018-20542 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2018-20542 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (77th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2018-20542?: CVE-2018-20542 affects Libxsmm Project Libxsmm. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2018-20542?: 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-2018-20542 published?: CVE-2018-20542 was published on 2018-12-28 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:libxsmm_project:libxsmm:1.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Libxsmm Project Libxsmm

CVE-2021-39536 — High (CVSS 8.8): An issue was discovered in libxsmm through v1.16.1-93. The JIT code has a heap-based buffer overflow.
CVE-2018-20541 — High (CVSS 8.8): There is a heap-based buffer overflow in libxsmm_sparse_csc_reader at generator_spgemm_csc_reader.c in LIBXSMM 1.10, a…
CVE-2021-39535 — Medium (CVSS 6.5): An issue was discovered in libxsmm through v1.16.1-93. A NULL pointer dereference exists in JIT code. It allows an…
CVE-2018-20543 — Medium (CVSS 6.5): There is an attempted excessive memory allocation at libxsmm_sparse_csc_reader in generator_spgemm_csc_reader.c in…

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