CVE-2018-16949
An issue was discovered in OpenAFS before 1.6.23 and 1.8.x before 1.8.2. Several data types used...
An issue was discovered in OpenAFS before 1.6.23 and 1.8.x before 1.8.2. Several data types used as RPC input variables were implemented as unbounded array types, limited only by the inherent 32-bit length field to 4 GB. An unauthenticated attacker could send, or claim to send, large input values and consume server resources waiting for those inputs, denying service to other valid connections.
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
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
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 data types used as RPC input variables were implemented as unbounded array types, limited only by the inherent 32-bit length field to 4 GB. An unauthenticated attacker could send, or claim to send, large input values and consume server resources waiting for those inputs, denying service to other valid connections.
- Record
CVE-2018-16949- CVSS 3.0
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H - CVSS 2.0
- 5.0 Medium
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P - Weakness
- CWE-400
- 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 data types used as RPC input variables were implemented as unbounded array types, limited only by the inherent 32-bit length field to 4 GB. An unauthenticated attacker could send, or claim to send, large input values and consume server resources waiting for those inputs, denying service to other valid connections.
- Record
CVE-2018-16949- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2018-8737 No score
An issue was discovered in OpenAFS before 1.6.23 and 1.8.x before 1.8.2. Several data types used as RPC input variables were implemented as unbounded array types, limited only by the inherent 32-bit length field to 4 GB. An unauthenticated attacker could send, or claim to send, large input values and consume server resources waiting for those inputs, denying service to other valid connections.
- Record
EUVD-2018-8737- Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-2x26-cf8j-qvpf
7.5
An issue was discovered in OpenAFS before 1.6.23 and 1.8.x before 1.8.2. Several data types used...
An issue was discovered in OpenAFS before 1.6.23 and 1.8.x before 1.8.2. Several data types used as RPC input variables were implemented as unbounded array types, limited only by the inherent 32-bit length field to 4 GB. An unauthenticated attacker could send, or claim to send, large input values and consume server resources waiting for those inputs, denying service to other valid connections.
- Record
GHSA-2x26-cf8j-qvpf- CVSS 3.0
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-400
- 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 data types used as RPC input variables were implemented as unbounded array types, limited only by the inherent 32-bit length field to 4 GB. An unauthenticated attacker could send, or claim to send, large input values and consume server resources waiting for those inputs, denying service to other valid connections.
- Record
CVE-2018-16949- CVSS 3.0
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVDEBIAN-CVE-2018-16949
7.5
An issue was discovered in OpenAFS before 1.6.23 and 1.8.x before 1.8.2. Several data types used as RPC input variables were implemented as unbounded array types, limited only by the inherent 32-bit length field to 4 GB. An unauthenticated attacker could send, or claim to send, large input values and consume server resources waiting for those inputs, denying service to other valid connections.
- Record
DEBIAN-CVE-2018-16949- CVSS 3.0
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVUBUNTU-CVE-2018-16949
7.5
An issue was discovered in OpenAFS before 1.6.23 and 1.8.x before 1.8.2. Several data types used as RPC input variables were implemented as unbounded array types, limited only by the inherent 32-bit length field to 4 GB. An unauthenticated attacker could send, or claim to send, large input values and consume server resources waiting for those inputs, denying service to other valid connections.
- Record
UBUNTU-CVE-2018-16949- CVSS 3.0
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H - 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 From an advisory covering 3 CVEs |
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 From an advisory covering 3 CVEs |
before 1.6.20-2+deb9u2, plus listed versions 1.6.20-21.6.20-2+deb9u1 |
1.6.20-2+deb9u2 |
openafsMageia:6 From an advisory covering 3 CVEs |
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 From an advisory covering 3 CVEs |
before 1.8.8-1.13 | 1.8.8-1.13 |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| affected, facts | ||
| 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-2018-16949 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 3.08%, the 87th percentile. Fixed in openafs 1.8.2-1.
References
securityfocus.com/bid/106375
lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2018/09/msg00024.html
openafs.org/pages/security/OPENAFS-SA-2018-003.txt
debian.org/security/2018/dsa-4302
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-16949
github.com/advisories/GHSA-2x26-cf8j-qvpf
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security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2018-16949
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-2018-002.txt
openafs.org/dl/openafs/1.6.23/RELNOTES-1.6.23
ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2018-16949
cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2018-16949
suse.com/security/cve/CVE-2018-16947
suse.com/security/cve/CVE-2018-16948
suse.com/security/cve/CVE-2018-16949