How severe is CVE-2018-5349?

CVE-2018-5349 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2018-5349 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (29th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2018-5349?

CVE-2018-5349 affects Heimdalsecurity Heimdal. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2018-5349?

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-2018-5349 published?

CVE-2018-5349 was published on 2018-03-22 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2018-5349

CVE-2018-5349 is a high-severity vulnerability in Heimdalsecurity Heimdal 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-732.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
CVSS v2: 4.6
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (29th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-732
Affected product: Heimdalsecurity Heimdal
Published: 2018-03-22
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

A vulnerability has been found in Heimdal PRO v2.2.190, but it is most likely also present in Heimdal FREE and Heimdal CORP. Faulty permissions on the directory "C:\ProgramData\Heimdal Security\Heimdal Agent" allow BUILTIN\Users to write new files to the directory. On startup, the process Heimdal.MonitorServices.exe running as SYSTEM will attempt to load version.dll from this directory. Placing a malicious version.dll in this directory will result in privilege escalation. NOTE: any affected Heimdal products are completely unrelated to the Heimdal vendor of a Kerberos 5 product on the h5l.org web site.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-5349?: A vulnerability has been found in Heimdal PRO v2.2.190, but it is most likely also present in Heimdal FREE and Heimdal CORP. Faulty permissions on the directory "C:\ProgramData\Heimdal Security\Heimdal Agent" allow BUILTIN\Users to write new files to the directory. On startup, the process Heimdal.MonitorServices.exe running as SYSTEM will attempt to load version.dll from this directory. Placing a malicious version.dll in this directory will result in privilege escalation. NOTE: any affected Heimdal products are completely unrelated to the Heimdal vendor of a Kerberos 5 product on the h5l.org web site.
How severe is CVE-2018-5349?: CVE-2018-5349 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2018-5349 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (29th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2018-5349?: CVE-2018-5349 affects Heimdalsecurity Heimdal. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2018-5349?: 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-2018-5349 published?: CVE-2018-5349 was published on 2018-03-22 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

https://improsec.com/blog/heimdal-advisory-1

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:heimdalsecurity:heimdal:2.2.190:*:*:*:pro:*:*:*

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