How severe is CVE-2018-5388?

CVE-2018-5388 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2018-5388 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 4% (89th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2018-5388?

CVE-2018-5388 primarily affects Strongswan. In total, 6 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2018-5388?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2018-5388 published?

CVE-2018-5388 was published on 2018-05-31 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2018-5388

CVE-2018-5388 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Strongswan with a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.5. 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-787.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 6.5)
CVSS v2: 4.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 4% (89th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-787
Affected product: Strongswan
Published: 2018-05-31
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

In stroke_socket.c in strongSwan before 5.6.3, a missing packet length check could allow a buffer underflow, which may lead to resource exhaustion and denial of service while reading from the socket.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-5388?: In stroke_socket.c in strongSwan before 5.6.3, a missing packet length check could allow a buffer underflow, which may lead to resource exhaustion and denial of service while reading from the socket.
How severe is CVE-2018-5388?: CVE-2018-5388 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2018-5388 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 4% (89th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2018-5388?: CVE-2018-5388 primarily affects Strongswan. In total, 6 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2018-5388?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2018-5388 published?: CVE-2018-5388 was published on 2018-05-31 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (6)

cpe:2.3:a:strongswan:strongswan:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
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:*:*:*

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