How severe is CVE-2018-7438?

CVE-2018-7438 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2018-7438 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (79th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2018-7438?

CVE-2018-7438 primarily affects Freexl Project Freexl. In total, 4 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2018-7438?

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-2018-7438 published?

CVE-2018-7438 was published on 2018-02-23 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2018-7438

CVE-2018-7438 is a high-severity vulnerability in Freexl Project Freexl 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-125.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 8.8)
CVSS v2: 6.8
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (79th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-125
Affected product: Freexl Project Freexl
Published: 2018-02-23
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

An issue was discovered in FreeXL before 1.0.5. There is a heap-based buffer over-read in the parse_unicode_string function.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-7438?: An issue was discovered in FreeXL before 1.0.5. There is a heap-based buffer over-read in the parse_unicode_string function.
How severe is CVE-2018-7438?: CVE-2018-7438 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2018-7438 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (79th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2018-7438?: CVE-2018-7438 primarily affects Freexl Project Freexl. In total, 4 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2018-7438?: 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-2018-7438 published?: CVE-2018-7438 was published on 2018-02-23 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (4)

cpe:2.3:a:freexl_project:freexl:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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