CVE-2018-11129
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedThe header::add_INFO_descriptor function in header.cpp in VCFtools 0.1.15 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (use-after-free) or possibly have unspecified other impact via a crafted vcf file.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · moderate confidenceA use-after-free vulnerability exists in VCFtools 0.1.15 within the header::add_INFO_descriptor function in header.cpp. When parsing a crafted VCF file, the function frees memory that it subsequently attempts to access, leading to potential denial of service or unspecified code execution. This is a memory management flaw in the VCF header parsing logic.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data= 0.1.15CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Verify Vcftools is installedRun 'vcftools --version' or check for the binary in your PATH (commonly at /usr/bin/vcftools or ~/bin/vcftools)Affected if Vcftools is not installed or not found in the system PATH
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Confirm the exact version numberExecute 'vcftools --version' and examine the output for the version string. Look for '0.1.15' specifically.Affected if The version displayed is exactly 0.1.15
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Identify if VCF file parsing is usedReview your workflow or scripts to determine if Vcftools is used to parse VCF files (the default behavior of vcftools is to read VCF input via --gzvcf, --vcf, or --bcf flags)Affected if VCF file parsing is performed using this installation
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Check for the vulnerable source fileLocate the Vcftools installation directory and verify the presence of header.cpp. Common paths: /usr/src/vcftools-0.1.15/cpp/src/header.cpp or within the source tree used to build the binaryAffected if The file header.cpp exists in the Vcftools source or installation directory
You are affected if Vcftools version 0.1.15 is installed and is used to parse VCF files, which triggers the vulnerable header::add_INFO_descriptor function in header.cpp.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataUpdate VCFtools to a patched version if available, or apply a fix to properly manage memory lifecycle in the add_INFO_descriptor function. Additionally, implement input validation on VCF files before processing to reject malformed headers.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-11129 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2018-11129 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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