How severe is CVE-2018-6981?

CVE-2018-6981 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8, 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-2018-6981 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (66th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2018-6981?

CVE-2018-6981 primarily affects Vmware Workstation. In total, 169 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2018-6981?

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-2018-6981 published?

CVE-2018-6981 was published on 2018-12-04 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2018-6981

CVE-2018-6981 is a high-severity vulnerability in Vmware Workstation 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-908.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 8.8)
CVSS v2: 7.2
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (66th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-908
Affected product: Vmware Workstation
Published: 2018-12-04
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

VMware ESXi 6.7 without ESXi670-201811401-BG and VMware ESXi 6.5 without ESXi650-201811301-BG, VMware ESXi 6.0 without ESXi600-201811401-BG, VMware Workstation 15, VMware Workstation 14.1.3 or below, VMware Fusion 11, VMware Fusion 10.1.3 or below contain uninitialized stack memory usage in the vmxnet3 virtual network adapter which may allow a guest to execute code on the host.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-6981?: VMware ESXi 6.7 without ESXi670-201811401-BG and VMware ESXi 6.5 without ESXi650-201811301-BG, VMware ESXi 6.0 without ESXi600-201811401-BG, VMware Workstation 15, VMware Workstation 14.1.3 or below, VMware Fusion 11, VMware Fusion 10.1.3 or below contain uninitialized stack memory usage in the vmxnet3 virtual network adapter which may allow a guest to execute code on the host.
How severe is CVE-2018-6981?: CVE-2018-6981 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8, 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-2018-6981 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (66th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2018-6981?: CVE-2018-6981 primarily affects Vmware Workstation. In total, 169 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2018-6981?: 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-2018-6981 published?: CVE-2018-6981 was published on 2018-12-04 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (169)

cpe:2.3:a:vmware:workstation:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:vmware:workstation:15.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:vmware:fusion:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:vmware:fusion:11.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:1a:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:1b:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:2:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:3:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:3a:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201504401:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201505401:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201507101:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201507102:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201507401:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201507402:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201507403:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201507404:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201507405:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201507406:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201507407:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201509101:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201509102:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201509201:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201509202:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201509203:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201509204:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201509205:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201509206:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201509207:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201509208:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201509209:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201509210:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201510401:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201511401:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201601101:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201601102:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201601401:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201601402:*:*:*:*:*:*

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