How severe is CVE-2018-20549?

CVE-2018-20549 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-2018-20549 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (76th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2018-20549?

CVE-2018-20549 primarily affects Libcaca Project Libcaca. In total, 11 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2018-20549?

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-2018-20549 published?

CVE-2018-20549 was published on 2018-12-28 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2018-20549

CVE-2018-20549 is a high-severity vulnerability in Libcaca Project Libcaca 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% (76th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-119
Affected product: Libcaca Project Libcaca
Published: 2018-12-28
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

There is an illegal WRITE memory access at caca/file.c (function caca_file_read) in libcaca 0.99.beta19.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-20549?: There is an illegal WRITE memory access at caca/file.c (function caca_file_read) in libcaca 0.99.beta19.
How severe is CVE-2018-20549?: CVE-2018-20549 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-2018-20549 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (76th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2018-20549?: CVE-2018-20549 primarily affects Libcaca Project Libcaca. In total, 11 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2018-20549?: 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-2018-20549 published?: CVE-2018-20549 was published on 2018-12-28 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (11)

cpe:2.3:a:libcaca_project:libcaca:0.99:beta19:*:*:*:*:*:*
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:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:34:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:35:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:36:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:leap:15.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Libcaca Project Libcaca

CVE-2018-20548 — High (CVSS 8.8): There is an illegal WRITE memory access at common-image.c (function load_image) in libcaca 0.99.beta19 for 1bpp data.
CVE-2018-20545 — High (CVSS 8.8): There is an illegal WRITE memory access at common-image.c (function load_image) in libcaca 0.99.beta19 for 4bpp data.
CVE-2018-20547 — High (CVSS 8.1): There is an illegal READ memory access at caca/dither.c (function get_rgba_default) in libcaca 0.99.beta19 for 24bpp…
CVE-2018-20546 — High (CVSS 8.1): There is an illegal READ memory access at caca/dither.c (function get_rgba_default) in libcaca 0.99.beta19 for the…
CVE-2021-30499 — High (CVSS 7.8): A flaw was found in libcaca. A buffer overflow of export.c in function export_troff might lead to memory corruption and…
CVE-2021-30498 — High (CVSS 7.8): A flaw was found in libcaca. A heap buffer overflow in export.c in function export_tga might lead to memory corruption…

All CVEs affecting Libcaca Project Libcaca →

Other CWE-119 (Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer) vulnerabilities

CVE-2026-2778 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Sandbox escape due to incorrect boundary conditions in the DOM: Core & HTML component. This vulnerability was fixed in…
CVE-2026-2776 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Sandbox escape due to incorrect boundary conditions in the Telemetry component in External Software. This vulnerability…
CVE-2025-1866 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer vulnerability in warmcat libwebsockets allows…
CVE-2022-27625 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): A vulnerability regarding improper restriction of operations within the bounds of a memory buffer is found in the…
CVE-2022-27624 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): A vulnerability regarding improper restriction of operations within the bounds of a memory buffer is found in the…
CVE-2020-11896 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): The Treck TCP/IP stack before 6.0.1.66 allows Remote Code Execution, related to IPv4 tunneling.

Browse all CWE-119 (Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer) vulnerabilities →