How severe is CVE-2018-6951?

CVE-2018-6951 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2018-6951 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 9% (94th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2018-6951?

CVE-2018-6951 primarily affects Gnu Patch. In total, 4 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2018-6951?

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-2018-6951 published?

CVE-2018-6951 was published on 2018-02-13 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2018-6951

CVE-2018-6951 is a high-severity vulnerability in Gnu Patch with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5. 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-476.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.5)
CVSS v2: 5.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 9% (94th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-476
Affected product: Gnu Patch
Published: 2018-02-13
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

An issue was discovered in GNU patch through 2.7.6. There is a segmentation fault, associated with a NULL pointer dereference, leading to a denial of service in the intuit_diff_type function in pch.c, aka a "mangled rename" issue.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-6951?: An issue was discovered in GNU patch through 2.7.6. There is a segmentation fault, associated with a NULL pointer dereference, leading to a denial of service in the intuit_diff_type function in pch.c, aka a "mangled rename" issue.
How severe is CVE-2018-6951?: CVE-2018-6951 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2018-6951 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 9% (94th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2018-6951?: CVE-2018-6951 primarily affects Gnu Patch. In total, 4 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2018-6951?: 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-2018-6951 published?: CVE-2018-6951 was published on 2018-02-13 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (4)

cpe:2.3:a:gnu:patch:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
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:17.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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