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Debian LinuxOperating system · Debian

CVE-2018-14661

MEDIUM · 6.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2018-10-31
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
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
It was found that usage of snprintf function in feature/locks translator of glusterfs server 3.8.4, as shipped with Red Hat Gluster Storage, was vulnerable to a format string attack. A remote, authenticated attacker could use this flaw to cause remote denial of service.

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

Format string vulnerability in glusterfs 3.8.4's feature/locks translator where the snprintf function uses user-controlled input as the format string instead of a literal, allowing an authenticated remote attacker to craft format specifiers that cause denial of service.

MitigationUpgrade glusterfs to a version containing the fix (or apply vendor patch) that ensures proper format string argument in snprintf calls within the locks translator.

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
Debian LinuxOperating system
Affected:= 8.0= 9.0
VirtualizationApplication
Affected:= 4.0
Virtualization HostApplication
Affected:= 4.0
Enterprise Linux ServerOperating system
Affected:= 6.0= 7.0
GlusterfsApplication
Affected:= 3.8.4

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. Check if glusterfs is installed
    Run 'glusterfs --version' or check for package with 'rpm -q glusterfs' (RHEL) or 'dpkg -l | grep glusterfs' (Debian)
    Affected if glusterfs is not installed or no version output returned
  2. Verify the installed glusterfs version
    Compare the version output from 'glusterfs --version' against the affected version 3.8.4, or check if the version falls within the affected range (3.8.4 specifically, and corresponding versions in Debian/RHEL)
    Affected if Installed version is exactly 3.8.4 or matches the affected version strings for Debian 8.0/9.0, RHEL 6.0/7.0, or Redhat Virtualization 4.0
  3. Identify if the locks translator is in use
    Run 'gluster volume list' to see existing volumes, then inspect volume info with 'gluster volume info <volumename>' and look for features/locks in the translator chain (check the 'Options Reconfigured' section or volume configuration)
    Affected if Any gluster volume has the 'locks' translator (features/locks) enabled in its configuration
  4. Check for glusterfs processes accepting remote connections
    Review network listener status with 'ss -tlnp | grep gluster' or 'netstat -tlnp | grep gluster' to see if glusterfs daemon (glusterd, glusterfsd) is listening on ports 24007/24008 or custom brick ports
    Affected if glusterfs processes are listening on network ports, enabling remote authenticated attacker access
  5. Review authentication configuration
    Check '/etc/glusterfs/glusterd.vol' or volume settings for 'auth.allow' or 'auth.reject' entries using 'gluster volume get <volumename> auth.allow' to determine which clients can connect
    Affected if Authentication allows remote attackers (broad IP ranges or ' * ' wildcard without restricted access)

You are affected if glusterfs version 3.8.4 (or the equivalent vulnerable versions for Debian/RHEL) is installed AND the locks translator is enabled on any volume AND the environment accepts remote authenticated connections.

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
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Upgrade glusterfs to a version containing the fix (or apply vendor patch) that ensures proper format string argument in snprintf calls within the locks translator.

Fix this in Debian Linux Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
11.0 hours of engineering $1,920
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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-2018-14661 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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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