CVE-2018-14779
A buffer overflow issue was discovered in the Yubico-Piv 1.5.0 smartcard driver. The file lib...
A buffer overflow issue was discovered in the Yubico-Piv 1.5.0 smartcard driver. The file lib/ykpiv.c contains the following code in the function ykpiv_transfer_data(): {% highlight c %} if(*out_len + recv_len - 2 > max_out) { fprintf(stderr, "Output buffer to small, wanted to write %lu, max was %lu.", *out_len + recv_len - 2, max_out); } if(out_data) { memcpy(out_data, data, recv_len - 2); out_data += recv_len - 2; *out_len += recv_len - 2; } {% endhighlight %} -- it is clearly checked whether the buffer is big enough to hold the data copied using memcpy(), but no error handling happens to avoid the memcpy() in such cases. This code path can be triggered with malicious data coming from a smartcard.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Physical
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- None
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
NVD Score used
6.8
A buffer overflow issue was discovered in the Yubico-Piv 1.5.0 smartcard driver. The file lib/ykpiv.c contains the following code in the function ykpiv_transfer_data(): {% highlight c %} if(*out_len + recv_len - 2 > max_out) { fprintf(stderr, "Output buffer to small, wanted to write %lu, max was %lu.", *out_len + recv_len - 2, max_out); } if(out_data) { memcpy(out_data, data, recv_len - 2); out_data += recv_len - 2; *out_len += recv_len - 2; } {% endhighlight %} -- it is clearly checked whether the buffer is big enough to hold the data copied using memcpy(), but no error handling happens to avoid the memcpy() in such cases. This code path can be triggered with malicious data coming from a smartcard.
- Record
CVE-2018-14779- CVSS 3.0
- 6.8 Medium
CVSS:3.0/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - CVSS 2.0
- 7.2 High
AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C - Weakness
- CWE-119, CWE-787
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
CVE List No score
A buffer overflow issue was discovered in the Yubico-Piv 1.5.0 smartcard driver. The file lib/ykpiv.c contains the following code in the function ykpiv_transfer_data(): {% highlight c %} if(*out_len + recv_len - 2 > max_out) { fprintf(stderr, "Output buffer to small, wanted to write %lu, max was %lu.", *out_len + recv_len - 2, max_out); } if(out_data) { memcpy(out_data, data, recv_len - 2); out_data += recv_len - 2; *out_len += recv_len - 2; } {% endhighlight %} -- it is clearly checked whether the buffer is big enough to hold the data copied using memcpy(), but no error handling happens to avoid the memcpy() in such cases. This code path can be triggered with malicious data coming from a smartcard.
- Record
CVE-2018-14779- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2018-6663 No score
A buffer overflow issue was discovered in the Yubico-Piv 1.5.0 smartcard driver. The file lib/ykpiv.c contains the following code in the function ykpiv_transfer_data(): {% highlight c %} if(*out_len + recv_len - 2 > max_out) { fprintf(stderr, "Output buffer to small, wanted to write %lu, max was %lu.", *out_len + recv_len - 2, max_out); } if(out_data) { memcpy(out_data, data, recv_len - 2); out_data += recv_len - 2; *out_len += recv_len - 2; } {% endhighlight %} -- it is clearly checked whether the buffer is big enough to hold the data copied using memcpy(), but no error handling happens to avoid the memcpy() in such cases. This code path can be triggered with malicious data coming from a smartcard.
- Record
EUVD-2018-6663- Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-rvwc-p7mj-cmgq
6.8
A buffer overflow issue was discovered in the Yubico-Piv 1.5.0 smartcard driver. The file lib...
A buffer overflow issue was discovered in the Yubico-Piv 1.5.0 smartcard driver. The file lib/ykpiv.c contains the following code in the function ykpiv_transfer_data(): {% highlight c %} if(*out_len + recv_len - 2 > max_out) { fprintf(stderr, "Output buffer to small, wanted to write %lu, max was %lu.", *out_len + recv_len - 2, max_out); } if(out_data) { memcpy(out_data, data, recv_len - 2); out_data += recv_len - 2; *out_len += recv_len - 2; } {% endhighlight %} -- it is clearly checked whether the buffer is big enough to hold the data copied using memcpy(), but no error handling happens to avoid the memcpy() in such cases. This code path can be triggered with malicious data coming from a smartcard.
- Record
GHSA-rvwc-p7mj-cmgq- CVSS 3.0
- 6.8 Medium
CVSS:3.0/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-119
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
6.8
A buffer overflow issue was discovered in the Yubico-Piv 1.5.0 smartcard driver. The file lib/ykpiv.c contains the following code in the function ykpiv_transfer_data(): {% highlight c %} if(*out_len + recv_len - 2 > max_out) { fprintf(stderr, "Output buffer to small, wanted to write %lu, max was %lu.", *out_len + recv_len - 2, max_out); } if(out_data) { memcpy(out_data, data, recv_len - 2); out_data += recv_len - 2; *out_len += recv_len - 2; } {% endhighlight %} -- it is clearly checked whether the buffer is big enough to hold the data copied using memcpy(), but no error handling happens to avoid the memcpy() in such cases. This code path can be triggered with malicious data coming from a smartcard.
- Record
CVE-2018-14779- CVSS 3.0
- 6.8 Medium
CVSS:3.0/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVDEBIAN-CVE-2018-14779
6.8
A buffer overflow issue was discovered in the Yubico-Piv 1.5.0 smartcard driver. The file lib/ykpiv.c contains the following code in the function ykpiv_transfer_data(): {% highlight c %} if(*out_len + recv_len - 2 > max_out) { fprintf(stderr, "Output buffer to small, wanted to write %lu, max was %lu.", *out_len + recv_len - 2, max_out); } if(out_data) { memcpy(out_data, data, recv_len - 2); out_data += recv_len - 2; *out_len += recv_len - 2; } {% endhighlight %} -- it is clearly checked whether the buffer is big enough to hold the data copied using memcpy(), but no error handling happens to avoid the memcpy() in such cases. This code path can be triggered with malicious data coming from a smartcard.
- Record
DEBIAN-CVE-2018-14779- CVSS 3.0
- 6.8 Medium
CVSS:3.0/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
Show 6 moreShow less
OSVUBUNTU-CVE-2018-14779
6.8
A buffer overflow issue was discovered in the Yubico-Piv 1.5.0 smartcard driver. The file lib/ykpiv.c contains the following code in the function ykpiv_transfer_data(): {% highlight c %} if(*out_len + recv_len - 2 > max_out) { fprintf(stderr, "Output buffer to small, wanted to write %lu, max was %lu.", *out_len + recv_len - 2, max_out); } if(out_data) { memcpy(out_data, data, recv_len - 2); out_data += recv_len - 2; *out_len += recv_len - 2; } {% endhighlight %} -- it is clearly checked whether the buffer is big enough to hold the data copied using memcpy(), but no error handling happens to avoid the memcpy() in such cases. This code path can be triggered with malicious data coming from a smartcard.
- Record
UBUNTU-CVE-2018-14779- CVSS 3.0
- 6.8 Medium
CVSS:3.0/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVopenSUSE-SU-2019:1341-1 No score
Security update for yubico-piv-tool
This update for yubico-piv-tool fixes the following issues:
Security issues fixed:
- Fixed an buffer overflow and an out of bounds memory read in ykpiv_transfer_data(), which could be triggered by a malicious token. (CVE-2018-14779, bsc#1104809, YSA-2018-03)
- Fixed an buffer overflow and an out of bounds memory read in _ykpiv_fetch_object(), which could be triggered by a malicious token. (CVE-2018-14780, bsc#1104811, YSA-2018-03)
This update was imported from the SUSE:SLE-15:Update update project.
- Record
openSUSE-SU-2019:1341-1- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVopenSUSE-SU-2024:11537-1 No score
libykcs11-2-2.2.0-1.5 on GA media
These are all security issues fixed in the libykcs11-2-2.2.0-1.5 package on the GA media of openSUSE Tumbleweed.
- Record
openSUSE-SU-2024:11537-1- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVSUSE-SU-2019:1123-1 No score
Security update for yubico-piv-tool
This update for yubico-piv-tool fixes the following issues:
Security issues fixed:
- Fixed an buffer overflow and an out of bounds memory read in ykpiv_transfer_data(), which could be triggered by a malicious token. (CVE-2018-14779, bsc#1104809, YSA-2018-03)
- Fixed an buffer overflow and an out of bounds memory read in _ykpiv_fetch_object(), which could be triggered by a malicious token. (CVE-2018-14780, bsc#1104811, YSA-2018-03)
- Record
SUSE-SU-2019:1123-1- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVUSN-4276-1 No score
Yubico PIV Tool vulnerabilities
It was discovered that libykpiv, a supporting library of the Yubico PIV Tool and YubiKey PIV Manager, mishandled specially crafted input. An attacker with a custom-made, malicious USB device could potentially execute arbitrary code on a computer running the Yubico PIV Tool or Yubikey PIV Manager.
- Record
USN-4276-1- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVUSN-4846-1 No score
yubico-piv-tool vulnerabilities
It was discovered that libykpiv, a supporting library of the Yubico PIV tool and YubiKey PIV Manager, mishandled specially crafted input. An attacker with a custom-made, malicious USB device could potentially execute arbitrary code on a computer running the Yubico PIV Tool or Yubikey PIV Manager.
- Record
USN-4846-1- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
yubico-piv-toolDebian:12 |
before 1.6.1-1 | 1.6.1-1 |
yubico-piv-toolDebian:13 |
before 1.6.1-1 | 1.6.1-1 |
yubico-piv-toolDebian:14 |
before 1.6.1-1 | 1.6.1-1 |
yubico-piv-toolSUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 From an advisory covering 2 CVEs |
before 1.5.0-3.3.33 | 1.5.0-3.3.33 |
yubico-piv-toolUbuntu:Pro:16.04:LTS |
before 1.0.3-1ubuntu0.1~esm1, plus listed versions 1.0.1-11.0.3-1 |
1.0.3-1ubuntu0.1~esm1 |
yubico-piv-toolUbuntu:18.04:LTS |
before 1.4.2-2ubuntu0.1, plus listed versions 1.4.2-2 |
1.4.2-2ubuntu0.1 |
yubico-piv-toolUbuntu:18.04:LTS From an advisory covering 2 CVEs |
before 1.4.2-2ubuntu0.1, plus listed versions 1.4.2-2 |
1.4.2-2ubuntu0.1 |
yubico-piv-toolUbuntu:Pro:16.04:LTS From an advisory covering 2 CVEs |
before 1.0.3-1ubuntu0.1~esm1, plus listed versions 1.0.1-11.0.3-1 |
1.0.3-1ubuntu0.1~esm1 |
yubico-piv-toolopenSUSE:Leap 15.0 From an advisory covering 2 CVEs |
before 1.5.0-lp150.2.3.1 | 1.5.0-lp150.2.3.1 |
yubico-piv-toolopenSUSE:Tumbleweed From an advisory covering 2 CVEs |
before 2.2.0-1.5 | 2.2.0-1.5 |
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-2018-14779 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 6.8) in Yubico Piv Manager, published August 15, 2018. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.49%, the 42nd percentile. Fixed in yubico-piv-tool 1.6.1-1.
References
yubico.com/support/security-advisories/ysa-2018-03
x41-dsec.de/lab/advisories/x41-2018-001-Yubico-Piv
openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2018/08/14/2
usn.ubuntu.com/4276-1
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-14779
github.com/advisories/GHSA-rvwc-p7mj-cmgq
Show 12 moreShow less
security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2018-14779
suse.com/support/update/announcement/2019/suse-su-20191123-1
bugzilla.suse.com/1104809
bugzilla.suse.com/1104811
suse.com/security/cve/CVE-2018-14779
suse.com/security/cve/CVE-2018-14780
ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2018-14779
ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-4276-1
cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2018-14779
ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-4846-1
ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2018-14780
lists.opensuse.org/archives/list/[email protected]/thread/SKNALFJRS7OCVOWZEDZL7DT5WORQDQGM