Vulnerability Name:

CVE-2018-16888 (CCN-155559)

Assigned:2017-08-17
Published:2017-08-17
Updated:2022-01-31
Summary: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 v3 Severity:4.7 Medium (CVSS v3.1 Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H)
4.1 Medium (Temporal CVSS v3.1 Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C)
Exploitability Metrics:Attack Vector (AV): Local
Attack Complexity (AC): High
Privileges Required (PR): Low
User Interaction (UI): None
Scope:Scope (S): Unchanged
Impact Metrics:Confidentiality (C): None
Integrity (I): None
Availibility (A): High
7.8 High (CCN CVSS v3.1 Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H)
6.8 Medium (CCN Temporal CVSS v3.1 Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C)
Exploitability Metrics:Attack Vector (AV): Local
Attack Complexity (AC): Low
Privileges Required (PR): Low
User Interaction (UI): None
Scope:Scope (S): Unchanged
Impact Metrics:Confidentiality (C): High
Integrity (I): High
Availibility (A): High
4.4 Medium (REDHAT CVSS v3.1 Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H)
3.9 Low (REDHAT Temporal CVSS v3.1 Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C)
Exploitability Metrics:Attack Vector (AV): Local
Attack Complexity (AC): High
Privileges Required (PR): Low
User Interaction (UI): Required
Scope:Scope (S): Unchanged
Impact Metrics:Confidentiality (C): None
Integrity (I): None
Availibility (A): High
CVSS v2 Severity:1.9 Low (CVSS v2 Vector: AV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P)
Exploitability Metrics:Access Vector (AV): Local
Access Complexity (AC): Medium
Authentication (Au): None
Impact Metrics:Confidentiality (C): None
Integrity (I): None
Availibility (A): Partial
6.8 Medium (CCN CVSS v2 Vector: AV:L/AC:L/Au:S/C:C/I:C/A:C)
Exploitability Metrics:Access Vector (AV): Local
Access Complexity (AC): Low
Athentication (Au): Single_Instance
Impact Metrics:Confidentiality (C): Complete
Integrity (I): Complete
Availibility (A): Complete
Vulnerability Type:CWE-269
CWE-250
Vulnerability Consequences:Gain Privileges
References:Source: MITRE
Type: CNA
CVE-2018-16888

Source: REDHAT
Type: Third Party Advisory
RHSA-2019:2091

Source: CCN
Type: Red Hat Bugzilla – Bug 1662867
(CVE-2018-16888) - CVE-2018-16888 systemd: kills privileged process if unprivileged PIDFile was tampered

Source: CONFIRM
Type: Issue Tracking, Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=CVE-2018-16888

Source: XF
Type: UNKNOWN
systemd-cve201816888-priv-esc(155559)

Source: CCN
Type: systemd GIT Repository
Make MAINPID= and PIDFile= handling more restrictive (and other stuff) #7816

Source: MLIST
Type: Third Party Advisory
[cassandra-user] 20190809 cassandra does not start with new systemd version

Source: CONFIRM
Type: Third Party Advisory
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20190307-0007/

Source: UBUNTU
Type: Third Party Advisory
USN-4269-1

Source: CCN
Type: WhiteSource Vulnerability Database
CVE-2018-16888

Vulnerable Configuration:Configuration 1:
  • cpe:/a:systemd_project:systemd:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* (Version < 237)

    • Configuration 2:
  • cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:16.04:*:*:*:esm:*:*:*
  • OR cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:18.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*
  • OR cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:19.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • OR cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

    • Configuration 3:
  • cpe:/a:netapp:active_iq_performance_analytics_services:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • OR cpe:/a:netapp:element_software:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

    • Configuration RedHat 1:
  • cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

    • Configuration RedHat 2:
  • cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:7::client:*:*:*:*:*

    • Configuration RedHat 3:
  • cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:7::computenode:*:*:*:*:*

    • Configuration RedHat 4:
  • cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:7::server:*:*:*:*:*

    • Configuration RedHat 5:
  • cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:7::workstation:*:*:*:*:*

    • Configuration CCN 1:
  • cpe:/a:systemd_project:systemd:237:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

    • * Denotes that component is vulnerable
    Oval Definitions
    Definition IDClassTitleLast Modified
    oval:com.redhat.rhsa:def:20192091
    P
    		RHSA-2019:2091: systemd security, bug fix, and enhancement update (Moderate)
    2019-08-06
    oval:com.ubuntu.bionic:def:201816888000
    V
    		CVE-2018-16888 on Ubuntu 18.04 LTS (bionic) - low.
    2019-01-14
    oval:com.ubuntu.cosmic:def:2018168880000000
    V
    		CVE-2018-16888 on Ubuntu 18.10 (cosmic) - low.
    2019-01-14
    oval:com.ubuntu.cosmic:def:201816888000
    V
    		CVE-2018-16888 on Ubuntu 18.10 (cosmic) - low.
    2019-01-14
    oval:com.ubuntu.bionic:def:2018168880000000
    V
    		CVE-2018-16888 on Ubuntu 18.04 LTS (bionic) - low.
    2019-01-14
    oval:com.ubuntu.trusty:def:201816888000
    V
    		CVE-2018-16888 on Ubuntu 14.04 LTS (trusty) - low.
    2019-01-14
    oval:com.ubuntu.xenial:def:2018168880000000
    V
    		CVE-2018-16888 on Ubuntu 16.04 LTS (xenial) - low.
    2019-01-14
    oval:com.ubuntu.xenial:def:201816888000
    V
    		CVE-2018-16888 on Ubuntu 16.04 LTS (xenial) - low.
    2019-01-14
    BACK
    systemd_project systemd *
    canonical ubuntu linux 16.04
    canonical ubuntu linux 18.04
    canonical ubuntu linux 19.10
    redhat enterprise linux 7.0
    netapp active iq performance analytics services -
    netapp element software -
    systemd_project systemd 237