Is CVE-2018-16888 actively exploited?

CVE-2018-16888 has no public evidence of in-the-wild exploitation as of 2024-11-21.

What is the CVSS score for CVE-2018-16888?

CVE-2018-16888 has a CVSS score of 4.7 (MEDIUM severity). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H.

How do I patch CVE-2018-16888?

Patch guidance is available from systemd project security advisories. CVEDatabase generates AI-assisted remediation guidance on demand for CVE-2018-16888.

CVE-2018-16888 - remediation guidance & executive summary

Q: Which products are affected by CVE-2018-16888?

7 products: systemd project systemd, canonical ubuntu linux, canonical ubuntu linux, canonical ubuntu linux, redhat enterprise linux, and 2 more.

Description

It was discovered systemd does not correctly check the content of PIDFile files before using it to kill processes. When a service is run from an unprivileged user (e.g. User field set in the service file), a local attacker who is able to write to the PIDFile of the mentioned service may use this flaw to trick systemd into killing other services and/or privileged processes. Versions before v237 are vulnerable.

CVSS Metrics

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Attack Vector: local
Complexity: high
Privileges: low
User Action: none
Scope: unchanged
Confidentiality: none
Integrity: none
Availability: high
Weaknesses: CWE-250 CWE-269 · Improper Privilege Management

Metadata

Primary Vendor: SYSTEMD_PROJECT
Published: 1/14/2019
Last Modified: 11/21/2024
Source: NIST NVD
Note: Verify all details with official vendor sources before applying patches.

Affected Products

systemd_project : systemdcanonical : ubuntu_linuxcanonical : ubuntu_linuxcanonical : ubuntu_linuxredhat : enterprise_linuxnetapp : active_iq_performance_analytics_servicesnetapp : element_software

Remediation Guidance

Executive Summary

Cite this page

CVE-2018-16888. CVEDatabase.com. Retrieved 1 May 2026. https://cvedatabase.com/cve/CVE-2018-16888

View on NIST NVD

CVE-2018-16888 vulnerability