CVE-2018-9918
CVE-2018-9918 is a high-severity vulnerability in Qpdf Project Qpdf 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-674.
Key facts
- Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
- CVSS v2: 6.8
- EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (75th percentile)
- Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
- Weakness: CWE-674
- Affected product: Qpdf Project Qpdf
- Published:
- Last modified:
Description
libqpdf.a in QPDF through 8.0.2 mishandles certain "expected dictionary key but found non-name object" cases, allowing remote attackers to cause a denial of service (stack exhaustion), related to the QPDFObjectHandle and QPDF_Dictionary classes, because nesting in direct objects is not restricted.
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2018-9918?
- libqpdf.a in QPDF through 8.0.2 mishandles certain "expected dictionary key but found non-name object" cases, allowing remote attackers to cause a denial of service (stack exhaustion), related to the QPDFObjectHandle and QPDF_Dictionary classes, because nesting in direct objects is not restricted.
- How severe is CVE-2018-9918?
- CVE-2018-9918 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
- Is CVE-2018-9918 being actively exploited?
- It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (75th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
- What products are affected by CVE-2018-9918?
- CVE-2018-9918 primarily affects Qpdf Project Qpdf. In total, 4 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
- How do I fix CVE-2018-9918?
- 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-2018-9918 published?
- CVE-2018-9918 was published on 2018-04-10 and last updated on 2026-06-17.
References
- https://github.com/qpdf/qpdf/commit/b4d6cf6836ce025ba1811b7bbec52680c7204223
- https://github.com/qpdf/qpdf/issues/202
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/3638-1/
Affected products (4)
- cpe:2.3:a:qpdf_project:qpdf:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- 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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