How severe is CVE-2018-7408?

CVE-2018-7408 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-2018-7408 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (25th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2018-7408?

CVE-2018-7408 affects Npmjs Npm. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2018-7408?

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-2018-7408 published?

CVE-2018-7408 was published on 2018-02-22 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2018-7408

CVE-2018-7408 is a high-severity vulnerability in Npmjs Npm 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% (25th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-732
Affected product: Npmjs Npm
Published: 2018-02-22
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

An issue was discovered in an npm 5.7.0 2018-02-21 pre-release (marked as "next: 5.7.0" and therefore automatically installed by an "npm upgrade -g npm" command, and also announced in the vendor's blog without mention of pre-release status). It might allow local users to bypass intended filesystem access restrictions because ownerships of /etc and /usr directories are being changed unexpectedly, related to a "correctMkdir" issue.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-7408?: An issue was discovered in an npm 5.7.0 2018-02-21 pre-release (marked as "next: 5.7.0" and therefore automatically installed by an "npm upgrade -g npm" command, and also announced in the vendor's blog without mention of pre-release status). It might allow local users to bypass intended filesystem access restrictions because ownerships of /etc and /usr directories are being changed unexpectedly, related to a "correctMkdir" issue.
How severe is CVE-2018-7408?: CVE-2018-7408 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-2018-7408 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (25th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2018-7408?: CVE-2018-7408 affects Npmjs Npm. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2018-7408?: 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-2018-7408 published?: CVE-2018-7408 was published on 2018-02-22 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:npmjs:npm:5.7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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