CVE-2018-5235

CVE-2018-5235 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Symantec Norton Utilities with a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.0. 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-427.

Key facts

Description

Norton Utilities (prior to 16.0.3.44) may be susceptible to a DLL Preloading vulnerability, which is a type of issue that can occur when an application looks to call a DLL for execution and an attacker provides a malicious DLL to use instead. Depending on how the application is configured, it will generally follow a specific search path to locate the DLL. The vulnerability can be exploited by a simple file write (or potentially an over-write) which results in a foreign DLL running under the context of the application.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-5235?
Norton Utilities (prior to 16.0.3.44) may be susceptible to a DLL Preloading vulnerability, which is a type of issue that can occur when an application looks to call a DLL for execution and an attacker provides a malicious DLL to use instead. Depending on how the application is configured, it will generally follow a specific search path to locate the DLL. The vulnerability can be exploited by a simple file write (or potentially an over-write) which results in a foreign DLL running under the context of the application.
How severe is CVE-2018-5235?
CVE-2018-5235 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.0, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over physical access with high attack complexity, requires high privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2018-5235 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (31st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2018-5235?
CVE-2018-5235 affects Symantec Norton Utilities. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2018-5235?
Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2018-5235 published?
CVE-2018-5235 was published on 2018-08-22 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

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