How severe is CVE-2018-8712?

CVE-2018-8712 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2018-8712 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (76th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2018-8712?

CVE-2018-8712 primarily affects Webmin. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2018-8712?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2018-8712 published?

CVE-2018-8712 was published on 2018-03-14 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2018-8712

CVE-2018-8712 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Webmin with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8. 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-22.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.8)
CVSS v2: 5.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (76th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-22
Affected product: Webmin
Published: 2018-03-14
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

An issue was discovered in Webmin 1.840 and 1.880 when the default Yes setting of "Can view any file as a log file" is enabled. As a result of weak default configuration settings, limited users have full access rights to the underlying Unix system files, allowing the user to read sensitive data from the local system (using Local File Include) such as the '/etc/shadow' file via a "GET /syslog/save_log.cgi?view=1&file=/etc/shadow" request.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-8712?: An issue was discovered in Webmin 1.840 and 1.880 when the default Yes setting of "Can view any file as a log file" is enabled. As a result of weak default configuration settings, limited users have full access rights to the underlying Unix system files, allowing the user to read sensitive data from the local system (using Local File Include) such as the '/etc/shadow' file via a "GET /syslog/save_log.cgi?view=1&file=/etc/shadow" request.
How severe is CVE-2018-8712?: CVE-2018-8712 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2018-8712 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (76th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2018-8712?: CVE-2018-8712 primarily affects Webmin. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2018-8712?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2018-8712 published?: CVE-2018-8712 was published on 2018-03-14 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

https://www.7elements.co.uk/resources/technical-advisories/webmin-1-840-1-880-unrestricted-access-arbitrary-files-using-local-file-include/

Affected products (2)

cpe:2.3:a:webmin:webmin:1.840:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:webmin:webmin:1.880:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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