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Gluster File SystemApplication · Redhat

CVE-2018-14659

MEDIUM · 6.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2018-10-31
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 4.1.4 or later.
See remediation →
71/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable Zero-click

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 · unedited
The Gluster file system through versions 4.1.4 and 3.1.2 is vulnerable to a denial of service attack via use of the 'GF_XATTR_IOSTATS_DUMP_KEY' xattr. A remote, authenticated attacker could exploit this by mounting a Gluster volume and repeatedly calling 'setxattr(2)' to trigger a state dump and create an arbitrary number of files in the server's runtime directory.

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 confidence

GlusterFS through versions 4.1.4 and 3.1.2 contains a denial of service vulnerability via the GF_XATTR_IOSTATS_DUMP_KEY extended attribute. A remote, authenticated attacker can mount a Gluster volume and repeatedly call setxattr(2) to trigger state dumps, creating an arbitrary number of files in the server's runtime directory and exhausting disk/resources.

MitigationUpgrade GlusterFS to a patched version. Additionally, implement access controls and monitoring for excessive setxattr operations to detect exploitation attempts.

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
Gluster File SystemApplication
Affected:>= 3.0.0, <= 3.1.2>= 4.1.0, <= 4.1.4
Debian LinuxOperating system
Affected:= 8.0= 9.0
Enterprise Linux ServerOperating system
Affected:= 6.0= 7.0
VirtualizationApplication
Affected:= 4.0
Virtualization HostApplication
Affected:= 4.0

CVSS 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
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify installed GlusterFS version
    Run 'glusterfs --version' or check the package manager (rpm -q glusterfs-server or dpkg -l glusterfs)
    Affected if The installed version falls within 3.0.0-3.1.2 or 4.1.0-4.1.4, meaning it is vulnerable
  2. Verify Gluster services are running
    Run 'glusterd --version' or check for glusterd process via 'ps aux | grep gluster'
    Affected if Gluster services are active and the vulnerable version is installed
  3. Inspect runtime directory for state dump files
    Check the Gluster runtime directory (commonly /var/run/gluster or /run/gluster) for an unusually high number of state dump files (*.dump or *state* files)
    Affected if A large number of state dump files exist, indicating possible exploitation
  4. Review authentication and volume access
    Verify which users or clients have permission to mount and access Gluster volumes by examining /etc/glusterfs/glusterd.vol or volume configuration files
    Affected if Unauthenticated or unauthorized users can mount volumes, increasing exposure to remote attackers
  5. Check logs for excessive setxattr operations
    Search Gluster logs (typically in /var/log/glusterfs/) for repeated setxattr calls involving 'iostats' or 'GF_XATTR_IOSTATS_DUMP_KEY'
    Affected if Logs show repeated setxattr operations to the vulnerable xattr key, indicating active exploitation attempts

A system is affected if it runs GlusterFS versions 3.0.0-3.1.2 or 4.1.0-4.1.4 and has the volume accessible to remote authenticated attackers, especially if state dump files or repeated setxattr activity are observed.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 data
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 4.1.4
Interim mitigation

Upgrade GlusterFS to a patched version. Additionally, implement access controls and monitoring for excessive setxattr operations to detect exploitation attempts.

Fix this in Gluster File System Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
9.0 hours of engineering $1,600
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An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,560.

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2018-14659 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data