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Fencer Intel
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 8y ago modified 4mo 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

Is CVE-2018-1118 in your stack? Fencer shows which of your repositories are affected as soon as an advisory lands, and opens the fix as a pull request.

Check with Fencer

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, 2026-11-09).

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 Intel 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.