How severe is CVE-2018-8885?

CVE-2018-8885 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.0, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with high attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2018-8885 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (12th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2018-8885?

CVE-2018-8885 primarily affects Canonical Screen-resolution-extra. In total, 4 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2018-8885?

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-2018-8885 published?

CVE-2018-8885 was published on 2018-03-28 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2018-8885

CVE-2018-8885 is a high-severity vulnerability in Canonical Screen-resolution-extra with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.0. 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-362.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.0)
CVSS v2: 4.4
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (12th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-362
Affected product: Canonical Screen-resolution-extra
Published: 2018-03-28
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

screenresolution-mechanism in screen-resolution-extra 0.17.2 does not properly use the PolicyKit D-Bus API, which allows local users to bypass intended access restrictions by leveraging a race condition via a setuid or pkexec process that is mishandled in a PolicyKitService._check_permission call.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-8885?: screenresolution-mechanism in screen-resolution-extra 0.17.2 does not properly use the PolicyKit D-Bus API, which allows local users to bypass intended access restrictions by leveraging a race condition via a setuid or pkexec process that is mishandled in a PolicyKitService._check_permission call.
How severe is CVE-2018-8885?: CVE-2018-8885 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.0, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with high attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2018-8885 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (12th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2018-8885?: CVE-2018-8885 primarily affects Canonical Screen-resolution-extra. In total, 4 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2018-8885?: 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-2018-8885 published?: CVE-2018-8885 was published on 2018-03-28 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

https://usn.ubuntu.com/3607-1/

Affected products (4)

cpe:2.3:a:canonical:screen-resolution-extra:0.17.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
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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