How severe is CVE-2018-6513?

CVE-2018-6513 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2018-6513 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (62nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2018-6513?

CVE-2018-6513 primarily affects Puppet. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2018-6513?

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-2018-6513 published?

CVE-2018-6513 was published on 2018-06-11 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2018-6513

CVE-2018-6513 is a high-severity vulnerability in Puppet 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-426.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 8.8)
CVSS v2: 6.5
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (62nd percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-426
Affected product: Puppet
Published: 2018-06-11
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Puppet Enterprise 2016.4.x prior to 2016.4.12, Puppet Enterprise 2017.3.x prior to 2017.3.7, Puppet Enterprise 2018.1.x prior to 2018.1.1, Puppet Agent 1.10.x prior to 1.10.13, Puppet Agent 5.3.x prior to 5.3.7, and Puppet Agent 5.5.x prior to 5.5.2, were vulnerable to an attack where an unprivileged user on Windows agents could write custom facts that can escalate privileges on the next puppet run. This was possible through the loading of shared libraries from untrusted paths.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-6513?: Puppet Enterprise 2016.4.x prior to 2016.4.12, Puppet Enterprise 2017.3.x prior to 2017.3.7, Puppet Enterprise 2018.1.x prior to 2018.1.1, Puppet Agent 1.10.x prior to 1.10.13, Puppet Agent 5.3.x prior to 5.3.7, and Puppet Agent 5.5.x prior to 5.5.2, were vulnerable to an attack where an unprivileged user on Windows agents could write custom facts that can escalate privileges on the next puppet run. This was possible through the loading of shared libraries from untrusted paths.
How severe is CVE-2018-6513?: CVE-2018-6513 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2018-6513 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (62nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2018-6513?: CVE-2018-6513 primarily affects Puppet. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2018-6513?: 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-2018-6513 published?: CVE-2018-6513 was published on 2018-06-11 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

https://puppet.com/security/cve/CVE-2018-6513

Affected products (2)

cpe:2.3:a:puppet:puppet:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:puppet:puppet_enterprise:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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