CVE-2018-21268
CVE-2018-21268 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Traceroute Project Traceroute with a CVSS 3.x base score of 10.0. 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-74.
Key facts
- Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 10.0)
- CVSS v2: 7.5
- EPSS exploit prediction: 4% (91st percentile)
- Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
- Weakness: CWE-74
- Affected product: Traceroute Project Traceroute
- Published:
- Last modified:
Description
The traceroute (aka node-traceroute) package through 1.0.0 for Node.js allows remote command injection via the host parameter. This occurs because the Child.exec() method, which is considered to be not entirely safe, is used. In particular, an OS command can be placed after a newline character.
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2018-21268?
- The traceroute (aka node-traceroute) package through 1.0.0 for Node.js allows remote command injection via the host parameter. This occurs because the Child.exec() method, which is considered to be not entirely safe, is used. In particular, an OS command can be placed after a newline character.
- How severe is CVE-2018-21268?
- CVE-2018-21268 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 10.0, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability low.
- Is CVE-2018-21268 being actively exploited?
- It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 4% (91st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
- What products are affected by CVE-2018-21268?
- CVE-2018-21268 affects Traceroute Project Traceroute. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
- How do I fix CVE-2018-21268?
- Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
- When was CVE-2018-21268 published?
- CVE-2018-21268 was published on 2020-06-25 and last updated on 2026-06-17.
References
- https://github.com/jaw187/node-traceroute/commit/b99ee024a01a40d3d20a92ad3769cc78a3f6386f
- https://github.com/jaw187/node-traceroute/tags
- https://medium.com/%40shay_62828/shell-command-injection-through-traceroute-npm-package-a4cf7b6553e3
- https://snyk.io/vuln/npm:traceroute:20160311
- https://www.linkedin.com/posts/op-innovate_shell-command-injection-through-traceroute-activity-6678956453086191616-Rcpy
- https://www.npmjs.com/advisories/1465
- https://www.npmjs.com/package/traceroute
- https://www.op-c.net/2020/06/17/shell-command-injection-through-traceroute-npm-package/
Affected products (1)
- cpe:2.3:a:traceroute_project:traceroute:*:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
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