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Fencer Vulns
high 7.8

CVE-2018-7738 json

In util-linux before 2.32-rc1, bash-completion/umount allows local users to gain privileges by embedding shell commands in a mountpoint nam…

published 2018-03-06 8 y ago modified 2026-06-17 4 mo ago also EUVD-2018-19453

cvss
7.8
version 3.0, NVD
cisa kev
Not listed
not in CISA's catalog
epss
0.4%
EPSS 0.4% chance of exploitation in 30 days, percentile 37%
public exploits
0
none known

Summary

In util-linux before 2.32-rc1, bash-completion/umount allows local users to gain privileges by embedding shell commands in a mountpoint name, which is mishandled during a umount command (within Bash) by a different user, as demonstrated by logging in as root and entering umount followed by a tab character for autocompletion.

Patch / fix

  • util-linux Debian 14, Debian 13, Debian 12 2.31.1-0.5

debian advisories DEBIAN-CVE-2018-7738

  • util-linux Ubuntu 18.04 LTS 2.31.1-0.4ubuntu3.7

ubuntu advisories UBUNTU-CVE-2018-7738

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

  • python-libmount openSUSE Leap 15.5, openSUSE Leap 15.4 2.31.1-150000.9.24.1
  • util-linux SLES for SAP 12 SP5, SLES 12 SP5, SLE Workstation Extension 12 SP5 +1 more 2.33.2-4.33.1
  • python-libmount SLES for SAP 12 SP5, SLES 12 SP5 2.33.2-4.33.1
  • util-linux-systemd SLES for SAP 12 SP5, SLES 12 SP5 2.33.2-4.33.1
  • util-linux SLES for SAP 12 SP2, SLES 12 SP2-LTSS, SLES 12 SP2-BCL +2 more 2.28-44.18.18
  • python-libmount SLES for SAP 12 SP2, SLES 12 SP2-LTSS, SLES 12 SP2-BCL +2 more 2.28-44.18.38
  • util-linux-systemd SLES for SAP 12 SP2, SLES 12 SP2-LTSS, SLES 12 SP2-BCL +2 more 2.28-44.18.25
  • util-linux SLES for SAP 12 SP3, SLES 12 SP3, SLED 12 SP3 +2 more 2.29.2-3.12.1

suse advisories SUSE-SU-2023:4512-1SUSE-SU-2023:4372-1SUSE-SU-2023:3268-1SUSE-SU-2019:0390-1SUSE-SU-2018:3926-1SUSE-SU-2018:2071-1

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-2018-7738 updated cvss 6.7

util-linux: Shell command injection in unescaped bash-completed mount point names

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 util-linux Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 uuidd, libuuid, libblkid, util-linux-ng Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 uuidd, libuuid, libblkid, libmount, util-linux Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 uuidd, libuuid, libblkid, libfdisk, libmount, util-linux, +3 more
    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

0.43% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 37% of all scored CVEs (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-08).

CVSS scores

assigned by version score vector
NVD 3.0 7.8 CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
NVD 2.0 7.2 AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

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.