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Fencer Vulns
low 2.3

CVE-2018-1118 json

Linux kernel vhost since version 4.8 does not properly initialize memory in messages passed between virtual guests and the host operating s…

published 2018-05-10 8 y ago modified 2026-06-17 4 mo ago also EUVD-2018-11762

cvss
2.3
version 3.0, CNA
cisa kev
Not listed
not in CISA's catalog
epss
0.4%
EPSS 0.4% chance of exploitation in 30 days, percentile 31%
public exploits
0
none known

Summary

Linux kernel vhost since version 4.8 does not properly initialize memory in messages passed between virtual guests and the host operating system in the vhost/vhost.c:vhost_new_msg() function. This can allow local privileged users to read some kernel memory contents when reading from the /dev/vhost-net device file.

Patch / fix

  • linux linux_kernel 4.18
  • linux Debian 14, Debian 13, Debian 12 4.17.3-1

debian advisories DEBIAN-CVE-2018-1118

  • linux Ubuntu 18.04 LTS 4.15.0-34.37
  • linux-aws Ubuntu 18.04 LTS 4.15.0-1021.21
  • linux-gcp Ubuntu 16.04 LTS 4.15.0-1019.20~16.04.1
  • linux-gcp Ubuntu 18.04 LTS 4.15.0-1019.20
  • linux-hwe Ubuntu 16.04 LTS 4.15.0-34.37~16.04.1
  • linux-kvm Ubuntu 18.04 LTS 4.15.0-1021.21
  • linux-oem Ubuntu 18.04 LTS 4.15.0-1018.21
  • linux-azure Ubuntu 16.04 LTS 4.15.0-1023.24~16.04.1

ubuntu advisories UBUNTU-CVE-2018-1118

Ubuntu security data © Canonical Ltd., from https://github.com/canonical/ubuntu-security-notices via OSV; changed: normalised to fixed package versions per release. CC BY-SA 4.0

  • kernel-alt RHEL 7 4.14.0-115.el7a
  • perf RHEL 7 4.14.0-115.el7a
  • kernel RHEL 7 4.14.0-115.el7a
  • python-perf RHEL 7 4.14.0-115.el7a
  • kernel-tools RHEL 7 4.14.0-115.el7a
  • kernel-tools-libs RHEL 7 4.14.0-115.el7a
  • kernel-bootwrapper RHEL 7 4.14.0-115.el7a
  • kernel-abi-whitelists RHEL 7 4.14.0-115.el7a

red hat advisories RHSA-2018:2948RHSA-2018:3096RHSA-2018:3083

  • kernel-azure SLE Module for Public Cloud 15 4.12.14-5.8.1
  • kernel-syms-azure SLE Module for Public Cloud 15 4.12.14-5.8.1
  • kernel-source-azure SLE Module for Public Cloud 15 4.12.14-5.8.1
  • kernel-syms SLE Module for Development Tools 15 4.12.14-25.3.1
  • kernel-source SLE Module for Development Tools 15, SLE Module for Basesystem 15 4.12.14-25.3.1
  • kernel-default SLE Workstation Extension 15, SLE Module for Legacy 15, SLE Module for Basesystem 15 +2 more 4.12.14-25.3.1
  • kernel-vanilla SLE Module for Development Tools 15 4.12.14-25.3.1
  • kernel-zfcpdump SLE Module for Basesystem 15 4.12.14-25.3.1

suse advisories SUSE-SU-2018:2222-1SUSE-SU-2018:2092-1

  • kernel-source openSUSE Tumbleweed 5.14.6-1.4
  • kernel-source openSUSE Tumbleweed 6.6.17-1.1

opensuse advisories openSUSE-SU-2024:10728-1openSUSE-SU-2024:13704-1

Vendor advisories

What the vendors themselves say about their products: affected, fixed or not affected, and what to do.

red hat product security vex CVE-2018-1118 updated cvss 2.3

kernel: vhost: Information disclosure in vhost/vhost.c:vhost_new_msg()

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Client (v. 7) perf 3.10.0-957.el7, kernel 3.10.0-957.el7, bpftool 3.10.0-957.el7, python-perf 3.10.0-957.el7, kernel-tools 3.10.0-957.el7, kernel-tools-libs 3.10.0-957.el7, +2 more Red Hat Enterprise Linux Client Optional (v. 7) kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 3.10.0-957.el7 Red Hat Enterprise Linux ComputeNode (v. 7) perf 3.10.0-957.el7, kernel 3.10.0-957.el7, bpftool 3.10.0-957.el7, python-perf 3.10.0-957.el7, kernel-tools 3.10.0-957.el7, kernel-tools-libs 3.10.0-957.el7, +2 more Red Hat Enterprise Linux ComputeNode Optional (v. 7) kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 3.10.0-957.el7 Red Hat Enterprise Linux for ARM and IBM Power LE (POWER9) Server (v. 7) perf 3.10.0-957.el7, perf 4.14.0-115.el7a, kernel 3.10.0-957.el7, kernel 4.14.0-115.el7a, kernel-alt 4.14.0-115.el7a, python-perf 3.10.0-957.el7, +13 more Red Hat Enterprise Linux for ARM and IBM Power LE (POWER9) Server Optional (v. 7) kernel-debuginfo-common-ppc64le 3.10.0-957.el7, kernel-debuginfo-common-ppc64le 4.14.0-115.el7a
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2018:3083
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux for Real Time (v. 7) kernel-rt 3.10.0-957.rt56.910.el7, kernel-rt-trace 3.10.0-957.rt56.910.el7 Red Hat Enterprise Linux for Real Time for NFV (v. 7) kernel-rt 3.10.0-957.rt56.910.el7, kernel-rt-kvm 3.10.0-957.rt56.910.el7, kernel-rt-trace 3.10.0-957.rt56.910.el7, kernel-rt-debug-kvm 3.10.0-957.rt56.910.el7, kernel-rt-trace-kvm 3.10.0-957.rt56.910.el7, kernel-rt-debuginfo-common-x86_64 3.10.0-957.rt56.910.el7
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2018:3096
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server (v. 7) perf 3.10.0-957.el7, kernel 3.10.0-957.el7, bpftool 3.10.0-957.el7, python-perf 3.10.0-957.el7, kernel-kdump 3.10.0-957.el7, kernel-tools 3.10.0-957.el7, +7 more Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server Optional (v. 7) kernel-debuginfo-common-ppc64 3.10.0-957.el7, kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 3.10.0-957.el7, kernel-debuginfo-common-ppc64le 3.10.0-957.el7 Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation (v. 7) perf 3.10.0-957.el7, kernel 3.10.0-957.el7, bpftool 3.10.0-957.el7, python-perf 3.10.0-957.el7, kernel-tools 3.10.0-957.el7, kernel-tools-libs 3.10.0-957.el7, +2 more Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation Optional (v. 7) kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 3.10.0-957.el7
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2018:3083
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 kernel Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 perf, kernel, python-perf, kernel-kdump, kernel-firmware, kernel-bootwrapper, +1 more Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 perf, kernel, bpftool, kernel-core, kernel-tools, python3-perf, +17 more Red Hat Enterprise Linux Client (v. 7) kernel-headers 3.10.0-957.el7 Red Hat Enterprise Linux ComputeNode (v. 7) kernel-headers 3.10.0-957.el7 Red Hat Enterprise Linux for ARM and IBM Power LE (POWER9) Server (v. 7) kernel-headers 3.10.0-957.el7
    +3 more products
    Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server (v. 7) kernel-headers 3.10.0-957.el7 Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation (v. 7) kernel-headers 3.10.0-957.el7 Red Hat Enterprise MRG 2 kernel-rt, mrg-rt-release, kernel-rt-trace, kernel-rt-vanilla, kernel-rt-firmware
    not affected: vulnerable code not present

Red Hat CSAF VEX © Red Hat, Inc., from https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/; changed: reduced to product statuses and remediations. CC BY 4.0 · csaf

Exploit prediction

0.37% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 31% of all scored CVEs (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-08).

CVSS scores

assigned by version score vector
CNA 3.0 2.3 CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
NVD 3.0 5.5 CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
NVD 2.0 2.1 AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N

Affected products

  • kernel vhost

Classification

Weakness
  • CWE-665 Improper Initialization
  • CWE-200 Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor
Technology feeds

References

Sources

Fencer Vulns keeps one entry per vulnerability: the CVE id wins, then GHSA, and records that alias each other are merged, except that two CVEs always keep separate entries. The same data is available as JSON.