CVE-2018-7281
CactusVPN 5.3.6 for macOS contains a root privilege escalation vulnerability through a setuid...
CactusVPN 5.3.6 for macOS contains a root privilege escalation vulnerability through a setuid root binary called runme. The binary takes a single command line argument and passes this argument to a system() call, thus allowing low privileged users to execute commands as root.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- Low
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
NVD Score used
CactusVPN 5.3.6 for macOS contains a root privilege escalation vulnerability through a setuid root binary called runme. The binary takes a single command line argument and passes this argument to a system() call, thus allowing low privileged users to execute commands as root.
- Record
CVE-2018-7281- CVSS 3.0
- 8.8 High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - CVSS 2.0
- 9.0 High
AV:N/AC:L/Au:S/C:C/I:C/A:C - Updated
- 2026-11-02
CVE List No score
CactusVPN 5.3.6 for macOS contains a root privilege escalation vulnerability through a setuid root binary called runme. The binary takes a single command line argument and passes this argument to a system() call, thus allowing low privileged users to execute commands as root.
- Record
CVE-2018-7281- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2018-19015 No score
CactusVPN 5.3.6 for macOS contains a root privilege escalation vulnerability through a setuid root binary called runme. The binary takes a single command line argument and passes this argument to a system() call, thus allowing low privileged users to execute commands as root.
- Record
EUVD-2018-19015- Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-2p69-65qq-262h
CactusVPN 5.3.6 for macOS contains a root privilege escalation vulnerability through a setuid...
CactusVPN 5.3.6 for macOS contains a root privilege escalation vulnerability through a setuid root binary called runme. The binary takes a single command line argument and passes this argument to a system() call, thus allowing low privileged users to execute commands as root.
- Record
GHSA-2p69-65qq-262h- CVSS 3.0
- 8.8 High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| aliases | EUVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2018-7281 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 8.8) in Cactusvpn, published February 21, 2018. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 1.54%, the 75th percentile. No source names a fixed version.