CVE-2018-16948
An issue was discovered in OpenAFS before 1.6.23 and 1.8.x before 1.8.2. Several RPC server...
An issue was discovered in OpenAFS before 1.6.23 and 1.8.x before 1.8.2. Several RPC server routines did not fully initialize their output variables before returning, leaking memory contents from both the stack and the heap. Because the OpenAFS cache manager functions as an Rx server for the AFSCB service, clients are also susceptible to information leakage. For example, RXAFSCB_TellMeAboutYourself leaks kernel memory and KAM_ListEntry leaks kaserver memory.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- None
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
NVD Score used
7.5
An issue was discovered in OpenAFS before 1.6.23 and 1.8.x before 1.8.2. Several RPC server routines did not fully initialize their output variables before returning, leaking memory contents from both the stack and the heap. Because the OpenAFS cache manager functions as an Rx server for the AFSCB service, clients are also susceptible to information leakage. For example, RXAFSCB_TellMeAboutYourself leaks kernel memory and KAM_ListEntry leaks kaserver memory.
- Record
CVE-2018-16948- CVSS 3.0
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N - CVSS 2.0
- 5.0 Medium
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-200
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
CVE List No score
An issue was discovered in OpenAFS before 1.6.23 and 1.8.x before 1.8.2. Several RPC server routines did not fully initialize their output variables before returning, leaking memory contents from both the stack and the heap. Because the OpenAFS cache manager functions as an Rx server for the AFSCB service, clients are also susceptible to information leakage. For example, RXAFSCB_TellMeAboutYourself leaks kernel memory and KAM_ListEntry leaks kaserver memory.
- Record
CVE-2018-16948- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2018-8736 No score
An issue was discovered in OpenAFS before 1.6.23 and 1.8.x before 1.8.2. Several RPC server routines did not fully initialize their output variables before returning, leaking memory contents from both the stack and the heap. Because the OpenAFS cache manager functions as an Rx server for the AFSCB service, clients are also susceptible to information leakage. For example, RXAFSCB_TellMeAboutYourself leaks kernel memory and KAM_ListEntry leaks kaserver memory.
- Record
EUVD-2018-8736- Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-q586-r5vx-jgjf
7.5
An issue was discovered in OpenAFS before 1.6.23 and 1.8.x before 1.8.2. Several RPC server...
An issue was discovered in OpenAFS before 1.6.23 and 1.8.x before 1.8.2. Several RPC server routines did not fully initialize their output variables before returning, leaking memory contents from both the stack and the heap. Because the OpenAFS cache manager functions as an Rx server for the AFSCB service, clients are also susceptible to information leakage. For example, RXAFSCB_TellMeAboutYourself leaks kernel memory and KAM_ListEntry leaks kaserver memory.
- Record
GHSA-q586-r5vx-jgjf- CVSS 3.0
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-200
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
7.5
An issue was discovered in OpenAFS before 1.6.23 and 1.8.x before 1.8.2. Several RPC server routines did not fully initialize their output variables before returning, leaking memory contents from both the stack and the heap. Because the OpenAFS cache manager functions as an Rx server for the AFSCB service, clients are also susceptible to information leakage. For example, RXAFSCB_TellMeAboutYourself leaks kernel memory and KAM_ListEntry leaks kaserver memory.
- Record
CVE-2018-16948- CVSS 3.0
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVDEBIAN-CVE-2018-16948
7.5
An issue was discovered in OpenAFS before 1.6.23 and 1.8.x before 1.8.2. Several RPC server routines did not fully initialize their output variables before returning, leaking memory contents from both the stack and the heap. Because the OpenAFS cache manager functions as an Rx server for the AFSCB service, clients are also susceptible to information leakage. For example, RXAFSCB_TellMeAboutYourself leaks kernel memory and KAM_ListEntry leaks kaserver memory.
- Record
DEBIAN-CVE-2018-16948- CVSS 3.0
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVUBUNTU-CVE-2018-16948
7.5
An issue was discovered in OpenAFS before 1.6.23 and 1.8.x before 1.8.2. Several RPC server routines did not fully initialize their output variables before returning, leaking memory contents from both the stack and the heap. Because the OpenAFS cache manager functions as an Rx server for the AFSCB service, clients are also susceptible to information leakage. For example, RXAFSCB_TellMeAboutYourself leaks kernel memory and KAM_ListEntry leaks kaserver memory.
- Record
UBUNTU-CVE-2018-16948- CVSS 3.0
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVMGASA-2019-0021 No score
Updated openafs packages fix security vulnerabilities
Jeffrey Altman reported that the backup tape controller (butc) process does accept incoming RPCs but does not require (or allow for) authentication of those RPCs, allowing an unauthenticated attacker to perform volume operations with administrator credentials (CVE-2018-16947).
Mark Vitale reported that several RPC server routines do not fully initialize output variables, leaking memory contents (from both the stack and the heap) to the remote caller for otherwise-successful RPCs (CVE-2018-16948).
Mark Vitale reported that an unauthenticated attacker can consume large amounts of server memory and network bandwidth via specially crafted requests, resulting in denial of service to legitimate clients (CVE-2018-16949).
- Record
MGASA-2019-0021- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVopenSUSE-SU-2024:11113-1 No score
openafs-1.8.8-1.13 on GA media
These are all security issues fixed in the openafs-1.8.8-1.13 package on the GA media of openSUSE Tumbleweed.
- Record
openSUSE-SU-2024:11113-1- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
openafsDebian:12 |
before 1.8.2-1 | 1.8.2-1 |
openafsDebian:13 |
before 1.8.2-1 | 1.8.2-1 |
openafsDebian:8 |
before 1.6.9-2+deb8u8, plus listed versions 1.6.9-2+deb8u21.6.9-2+deb8u31.6.9-2+deb8u41.6.9-2+deb8u4~bpo70+11.6.9-2+deb8u51.6.9-2+deb8u61.6.9-2+deb8u7 |
1.6.9-2+deb8u8 |
openafsDebian:9 |
before 1.6.20-2+deb9u2, plus listed versions 1.6.20-21.6.20-2+deb9u1 |
1.6.20-2+deb9u2 |
openafsMageia:6 |
before 1.6.23-1.mga6 | 1.6.23-1.mga6 |
openafsUbuntu:16.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 1.6.14-11.6.15-11.6.15-1ubuntu11.6.15-1ubuntu1.1 |
None known |
openafsUbuntu:18.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 1.6.21-31.6.21-3ubuntu11.6.22-31.8.0~pre4-11.8.0~pre5-11.8.0~pre5-1ubuntu11.8.0~pre5-1ubuntu1.11.8.0~pre5-1ubuntu1.2 |
None known |
openafsopenSUSE:Tumbleweed |
before 1.8.8-1.13 | 1.8.8-1.13 |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| aliases | EUVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2018-16948 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 7.5) in Openafs, published September 12, 2018. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 1.99%, the 80th percentile. Fixed in openafs 1.8.2-1.
References
lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2018/09/msg00024.html
debian.org/security/2018/dsa-4302
openafs.org/pages/security/OPENAFS-SA-2018-002.txt
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-16948
github.com/advisories/GHSA-q586-r5vx-jgjf
security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2018-16948
Show 10 moreShow less
advisories.mageia.org/MGASA-2019-0021.html
bugs.mageia.org/show_bug.cgi?id=23663
openafs.org/pages/security/OPENAFS-SA-2018-001.txt
openafs.org/pages/security/OPENAFS-SA-2018-003.txt
openafs.org/dl/openafs/1.6.23/RELNOTES-1.6.23
ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2018-16948
cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2018-16948
suse.com/security/cve/CVE-2018-16947
suse.com/security/cve/CVE-2018-16948
suse.com/security/cve/CVE-2018-16949