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Fencer Vulns
low 2.8

CVE-2018-1120 json

A flaw was found affecting the Linux kernel before version 4.17.

published 2018-06-20 8 y ago modified 2026-06-17 4 mo ago also EUVD-2018-11764

cvss
2.8
version 3.0, CNA
cisa kev
Not listed
not in CISA's catalog
epss
7.1%
EPSS 7.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days, percentile 94%
public exploits
1
Exploit-DB

Summary

A flaw was found affecting the Linux kernel before version 4.17. By mmap()ing a FUSE-backed file onto a process's memory containing command line arguments (or environment strings), an attacker can cause utilities from psutils or procps (such as ps, w) or any other program which makes a read() call to the /proc/<pid>/cmdline (or /proc/<pid>/environ) files to block indefinitely (denial of service) or for some controlled time (as a synchronization primitive for other attacks).

Patch / fix

  • linux linux_kernel 4.17
  • linux Debian 14, Debian 13, Debian 12 4.16.12-1

debian advisories DEBIAN-CVE-2018-1120

  • linux Ubuntu 16.04 LTS 4.4.0-143.169
  • linux Ubuntu 18.04 LTS 4.15.0-33.36
  • linux-aws Ubuntu 14.04 LTS 4.4.0-1039.42
  • linux-aws Ubuntu 16.04 LTS 4.4.0-1077.87
  • linux-aws Ubuntu 18.04 LTS 4.15.0-1020.20
  • linux-gcp Ubuntu 16.04 LTS 4.15.0-1018.19~16.04.2
  • linux-gcp Ubuntu 18.04 LTS 4.15.0-1018.19
  • linux-hwe Ubuntu 16.04 LTS 4.15.0-33.36~16.04.1

ubuntu advisories UBUNTU-CVE-2018-1120

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-2018:3083RHSA-2020:3804RHSA-2020:3810

  • kernel-syms SLES for SAP 12 SP2, SLES 12 SP2-LTSS, SLES 12 SP2-BCL +2 more 4.4.121-92.109.2
  • kernel-source SLES for SAP 12 SP2, SLES 12 SP2-LTSS, SLES 12 SP2-BCL +2 more 4.4.121-92.109.2
  • kernel-default SLES for SAP 12 SP2, SLES 12 SP2-LTSS, SLES 12 SP2-BCL +3 more 4.4.121-92.109.2
  • kgraft-patch-SLE12-SP2_Update_29 SLES for SAP 12 SP2, SLES 12 SP2-LTSS, OpenStack Cloud 7 +1 more 1-3.5.2
  • kernel-syms SLES for SAP 12 SP3, SLES 12 SP3, SLED 12 SP3 4.4.175-94.79.1
  • kernel-source SLES for SAP 12 SP3, SLES 12 SP3, SLED 12 SP3 4.4.175-94.79.1
  • kernel-default SLES for SAP 12 SP3, SLES 12 SP3, SLED 12 SP3 +2 more 4.4.175-94.79.1
  • kernel-obs-build SLE Software Development Kit 12 SP3 4.4.175-94.79.1

suse advisories SUSE-SU-2019:1287-1SUSE-SU-2019:0541-1SUSE-SU-2019:0320-1SUSE-SU-2019:0148-1SUSE-SU-2018:2092-1

  • linux Arch Linux 4.17.2-1
  • linux-lts Arch Linux 4.14.44-1
  • linux-hardened Arch Linux 4.17a-1
  • linux-zen Arch Linux 4.17-1

arch linux advisories AVG-701AVG-702AVG-703AVG-704

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-2018-1120 updated cvss 2.8

kernel: fuse-backed file mmap-ed onto process cmdline arguments causes denial of service

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 kernel Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 perf, kernel, python-perf, kernel-kdump, kernel-firmware, kernel-bootwrapper, +1 more
    affected: no fix planned “Will not fix”
  • 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
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2018:3083
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server AUS (v. 7.4) perf 3.10.0-693.76.1.el7, kernel 3.10.0-693.76.1.el7, python-perf 3.10.0-693.76.1.el7, kernel-tools 3.10.0-693.76.1.el7, kernel-tools-libs 3.10.0-693.76.1.el7, kernel-abi-whitelists 3.10.0-693.76.1.el7, +1 more Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server E4S (v. 7.4) perf 3.10.0-693.76.1.el7, kernel 3.10.0-693.76.1.el7, python-perf 3.10.0-693.76.1.el7, kernel-tools 3.10.0-693.76.1.el7, kernel-tools-libs 3.10.0-693.76.1.el7, kernel-bootwrapper 3.10.0-693.76.1.el7, +3 more
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2020:3804
  • 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
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2018:3083
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server Optional AUS (v. 7.4) kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 3.10.0-693.76.1.el7 Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server Optional E4S (v. 7.4) kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 3.10.0-693.76.1.el7, kernel-debuginfo-common-ppc64le 3.10.0-693.76.1.el7 Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server Optional TUS (v. 7.4) kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 3.10.0-693.76.1.el7 Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server TUS (v. 7.4) perf 3.10.0-693.76.1.el7, kernel 3.10.0-693.76.1.el7, python-perf 3.10.0-693.76.1.el7, kernel-tools 3.10.0-693.76.1.el7, kernel-tools-libs 3.10.0-693.76.1.el7, kernel-abi-whitelists 3.10.0-693.76.1.el7, +1 more
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2020:3804
  • 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
show 2 more
  • Red Hat MRG Realtime for RHEL 6 Server v.2 kernel-rt 3.10.0-693.76.1.rt56.676.el6rt, kernel-rt-trace 3.10.0-693.76.1.rt56.676.el6rt, kernel-rt-vanilla 3.10.0-693.76.1.rt56.676.el6rt, kernel-rt-firmware 3.10.0-693.76.1.rt56.676.el6rt, kernel-rt-debuginfo-common-x86_64 3.10.0-693.76.1.rt56.676.el6rt
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2020:3810
  • 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 Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server (v. 7) kernel-headers 3.10.0-957.el7 Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server AUS (v. 7.4) kernel-headers 3.10.0-693.76.1.el7
    +3 more products
    Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server E4S (v. 7.4) kernel-headers 3.10.0-693.76.1.el7 Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server TUS (v. 7.4) kernel-headers 3.10.0-693.76.1.el7 Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation (v. 7) kernel-headers 3.10.0-957.el7
    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

Timeline

  1. First public exploit (EDB-44806)
  2. Published

Exploit prediction

7.06% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 94% of all scored CVEs (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-08).

Exploits and checks

  • EDB-44806 Procps-ng - Multiple Vulnerabilities local, 2018-05-30
  • seclists.org http://seclists.org/oss-sec/2018/q2/122 referenced PoC, tagged "exploit" by a source, unverified

CVSS scores

assigned by version score vector
CNA 3.0 2.8 CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L
NVD 3.0 5.3 CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
NVD 2.0 3.5 AV:N/AC:M/Au:S/C:N/I:N/A:P

Affected products

  • [UNKNOWN] kernel

Classification

Weakness
  • CWE-122 Heap-based Buffer Overflow
  • CWE-119 Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer
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.