Is CVE-2018-20839 actively exploited?

CVE-2018-20839 has no public evidence of in-the-wild exploitation as of 2025-05-05.

What is the CVSS score for CVE-2018-20839?

CVE-2018-20839 has a CVSS score of 4.3 (MEDIUM severity). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N.

How do I patch CVE-2018-20839?

Patch guidance is available from systemd project security advisories. CVEDatabase generates AI-assisted remediation guidance on demand for CVE-2018-20839.

CVE-2018-20839 - remediation guidance & executive summary

Q: Which products are affected by CVE-2018-20839?

4 products: systemd project systemd, netapp cn1610 firmware, netapp snapprotect, netapp solidfire \& hci management node.

Description

systemd 242 changes the VT1 mode upon a logout, which allows attackers to read cleartext passwords in certain circumstances, such as watching a shutdown, or using Ctrl-Alt-F1 and Ctrl-Alt-F2. This occurs because the KDGKBMODE (aka current keyboard mode) check is mishandled.

CVSS Metrics

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Attack Vector: physical
Complexity: low
Privileges: none
User Action: required
Scope: unchanged
Confidentiality: high
Integrity: none
Availability: none
Weaknesses: NVD-CWE-noinfo

Metadata

Primary Vendor: SYSTEMD_PROJECT
Published: 5/17/2019
Last Modified: 5/5/2025
Source: NIST NVD
Note: Verify all details with official vendor sources before applying patches.

Affected Products

systemd_project : systemdnetapp : cn1610_firmwarenetapp : snapprotectnetapp : solidfire_\&_hci_management_node

Remediation Guidance

Executive Summary

Cite this page

CVE-2018-20839. CVEDatabase.com. Retrieved 1 May 2026. https://cvedatabase.com/cve/CVE-2018-20839

View on NIST NVD

CVE-2018-20839 vulnerability