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CVE-2018-6198

w3m through 0.5.3 does not properly handle temporary files when the ~/.w3m directory is...

4.7 MediumFix available

w3m through 0.5.3 does not properly handle temporary files when the ~/.w3m directory is unwritable, which allows a local attacker to craft a symlink attack to overwrite arbitrary files.

Attack profile

How easy it is to exploit

Attack vector
Local
Complexity
High
Privileges needed
Low
User interaction
None

What an attacker can affect

Confidentiality
None
Integrity
High
Availability
None

Exploit likelihood

0.40%Down 0.5 points since Apr 14, 2021
90%50%10%1%

What each source reports

NVD Score used 4.7

w3m through 0.5.3 does not properly handle temporary files when the ~/.w3m directory is unwritable, which allows a local attacker to craft a symlink attack to overwrite arbitrary files.

Record
CVE-2018-6198
CVSS 3.0
4.7 MediumCVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
CVSS 2.0
3.3 LowAV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:N/I:P/A:P
Weakness
CWE-59
Updated
2026-11-02
CVE List No score

w3m through 0.5.3 does not properly handle temporary files when the ~/.w3m directory is unwritable, which allows a local attacker to craft a symlink attack to overwrite arbitrary files.

Record
CVE-2018-6198
Updated
2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2018-17959 No score

w3m through 0.5.3 does not properly handle temporary files when the ~/.w3m directory is unwritable, which allows a local attacker to craft a symlink attack to overwrite arbitrary files.

Record
EUVD-2018-17959
Updated
2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-gvrg-2xvq-7j38 4.7

w3m through 0.5.3 does not properly handle temporary files when the ~/.w3m directory is...

w3m through 0.5.3 does not properly handle temporary files when the ~/.w3m directory is unwritable, which allows a local attacker to craft a symlink attack to overwrite arbitrary files.

Record
GHSA-gvrg-2xvq-7j38
CVSS 3.0
4.7 MediumCVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
Weakness
CWE-59
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVALPINE-CVE-2018-6198 4.7

w3m through 0.5.3 does not properly handle temporary files when the ~/.w3m directory is unwritable, which allows a local attacker to craft a symlink attack to overwrite arbitrary files.

Record
ALPINE-CVE-2018-6198
CVSS 3.0
4.7 MediumCVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
Updated
2026-11-03
OSV 4.7

w3m through 0.5.3 does not properly handle temporary files when the ~/.w3m directory is unwritable, which allows a local attacker to craft a symlink attack to overwrite arbitrary files.

Record
CVE-2018-6198
CVSS 3.0
4.7 MediumCVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
Updated
2026-11-02
Show 6 moreShow less
OSVDEBIAN-CVE-2018-6198 4.7

w3m through 0.5.3 does not properly handle temporary files when the ~/.w3m directory is unwritable, which allows a local attacker to craft a symlink attack to overwrite arbitrary files.

Record
DEBIAN-CVE-2018-6198
CVSS 3.0
4.7 MediumCVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVUBUNTU-CVE-2018-6198 4.7

w3m through 0.5.3 does not properly handle temporary files when the ~/.w3m directory is unwritable, which allows a local attacker to craft a symlink attack to overwrite arbitrary files.

Record
UBUNTU-CVE-2018-6198
CVSS 3.0
4.7 MediumCVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVMGASA-2018-0312 No score

Updated w3m packages fix security vulnerability

It was discovered that w3m incorrectly handled certain inputs. An attacker could possibly use this to cause a denial of service (CVE-2018-6196, CVE-2018-6197).

It was discovered that w3m incorrectly handled temporary files. An attacker could possibly use this to overwrite arbitrary files (CVE-2018-6198).

Record
MGASA-2018-0312
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVopenSUSE-SU-2024:11504-1 No score

w3m-0.5.3+git20180125-1.14 on GA media

These are all security issues fixed in the w3m-0.5.3+git20180125-1.14 package on the GA media of openSUSE Tumbleweed.

Record
openSUSE-SU-2024:11504-1
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVSUSE-SU-2019:0776-1 No score

Security update for w3m

This update for w3m fixes several issues.

These security issues were fixed:

  • CVE-2018-6196: Prevent infinite recursion in HTMLlineproc0 caused by the feed_table_block_tag function which did not prevent a negative indent value (bsc#1077559)
  • CVE-2018-6197: Prevent NULL pointer dereference in formUpdateBuffer (bsc#1077568)
  • CVE-2018-6198: w3m did not properly handle temporary files when the ~/.w3m directory is unwritable, which allowed a local attacker to craft a symlink attack to overwrite arbitrary files (bsc#1077572)
Record
SUSE-SU-2019:0776-1
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVUSN-3555-1 No score

w3m vulnerabilities

It was discovered that w3m incorrectly handled certain inputs. An attacker could possibly use this to cause a denial of service. (CVE-2018-6196, CVE-2018-6197)

It was discovered that w3m incorrectly handled temporary files. An attacker could possibly use this to overwrite arbitrary files. (CVE-2018-6198)

Record
USN-3555-1
Updated
2026-11-02

Affected products

Affected packages

Affected packages
PackageAffectedFixed
w3m
Alpine:v3.10
 before 0.5.3.20180125-r0
0.5.3.20180125-r0
w3m
Alpine:v3.11
 before 0.5.3.20180125-r0
0.5.3.20180125-r0
w3m
Alpine:v3.12
 before 0.5.3.20180125-r0
0.5.3.20180125-r0
w3m
Alpine:v3.13
 before 0.5.3.20180125-r0
0.5.3.20180125-r0
w3m
Alpine:v3.14
 before 0.5.3.20180125-r0
0.5.3.20180125-r0
w3m
Alpine:v3.15
 before 0.5.3.20180125-r0
0.5.3.20180125-r0
w3m
Alpine:v3.16
 before 0.5.3.20180125-r0
0.5.3.20180125-r0
w3m
Alpine:v3.17
 before 0.5.3.20180125-r0
0.5.3.20180125-r0
w3m
Alpine:v3.18
 before 0.5.3.20180125-r0
0.5.3.20180125-r0
w3m
Alpine:v3.19
 before 0.5.3.20180125-r0
0.5.3.20180125-r0
Show 23 moreShow less
Affected packages
PackageAffectedFixed
w3m
Alpine:v3.20
 before 0.5.3.20180125-r0
0.5.3.20180125-r0
w3m
Alpine:v3.21
 before 0.5.3.20180125-r0
0.5.3.20180125-r0
w3m
Alpine:v3.22
 before 0.5.3_git20241203-r0
0.5.3_git20241203-r0
w3m
Alpine:v3.23
 before 0.5.3_git20241203-r0
0.5.3_git20241203-r0
w3m
Alpine:v3.24
 before 0.5.3_git20241203-r0
0.5.3_git20241203-r0
w3m
Alpine:v3.8
 before 0.5.3.20180125-r0
0.5.3.20180125-r0
w3m
Alpine:v3.9
 before 0.5.3.20180125-r0
0.5.3.20180125-r0
w3m
Debian:12
 before 0.5.3-36
0.5.3-36
w3m
Debian:13
 before 0.5.3-36
0.5.3-36
w3m
Debian:14
 before 0.5.3-36
0.5.3-36
w3m
Mageia:5
From an advisory covering 3 CVEs
 before 0.5.3-13.git20180520.0.mga5
0.5.3-13.git20180520.0.mga5
w3m
Mageia:6
From an advisory covering 3 CVEs
 before 0.5.3-13.git20180520.0.mga6
0.5.3-13.git20180520.0.mga6
w3m
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 SP3
From an advisory covering 3 CVEs
 before 0.5.3.git20161120-161.3.4
0.5.3.git20161120-161.3.4
w3m
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 SP4
From an advisory covering 3 CVEs
 before 0.5.3.git20161120-161.3.4
0.5.3.git20161120-161.3.4
w3m
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP3
From an advisory covering 3 CVEs
 before 0.5.3.git20161120-161.3.4
0.5.3.git20161120-161.3.4
w3m
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP3
From an advisory covering 3 CVEs
 before 0.5.3.git20161120-161.3.4
0.5.3.git20161120-161.3.4
w3m
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP4
From an advisory covering 3 CVEs
 before 0.5.3.git20161120-161.3.4
0.5.3.git20161120-161.3.4
w3m
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP4
From an advisory covering 3 CVEs
 before 0.5.3.git20161120-161.3.4
0.5.3.git20161120-161.3.4
w3m
Ubuntu:14.04:LTS
 before 0.5.3-15ubuntu0.2, plus listed versions
0.5.3-110.5.3-120.5.3-130.5.3-150.5.3-15ubuntu0.1
0.5.3-15ubuntu0.2
w3m
Ubuntu:16.04:LTS
 before 0.5.3-26ubuntu0.2, plus listed versions
0.5.3-240.5.3-250.5.3-260.5.3-26build10.5.3-26ubuntu0.1
0.5.3-26ubuntu0.2
w3m
Ubuntu:14.04:LTS
From an advisory covering 3 CVEs
 before 0.5.3-15ubuntu0.2, plus listed versions
0.5.3-110.5.3-120.5.3-130.5.3-150.5.3-15ubuntu0.1
0.5.3-15ubuntu0.2
w3m
Ubuntu:16.04:LTS
From an advisory covering 3 CVEs
 before 0.5.3-26ubuntu0.2, plus listed versions
0.5.3-240.5.3-250.5.3-260.5.3-26build10.5.3-26ubuntu0.1
0.5.3-26ubuntu0.2
w3m
openSUSE:Tumbleweed
From an advisory covering 4 CVEs
 before 0.5.3+git20180125-1.14
0.5.3+git20180125-1.14

History

History
RecordedChangedSources
affected, facts
affectedOSV
aliasesEUVD
first indexedCVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV

Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.

In short

CVE-2018-6198 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 4.7) in Tats W3m, published January 24, 2018. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.40%, the 33rd percentile. Fixed in w3m 0.5.3.20180125-r0.

References

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