CVE-2018-16518
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 · uneditedA directory traversal vulnerability with remote code execution in Prim'X Zed! FREE through 1.0 build 186 and Zed! Limited Edition through 6.1 build 2208 allows creation of arbitrary files on a user's workstation using crafted ZED! containers because the watermark loading function can place an executable file into a Startup folder.
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 directory traversal vulnerability in Prim'X Zed! encryption software allows specially crafted ZED! container files to write arbitrary executable files to the user's Startup folder via the watermark loading function. This achieves remote code execution as the placed file executes automatically upon user login.
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<= 6.1<= 1.0CVSS 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
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/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 Prim'X Zed! installationCheck for Prim'X Zed! in installed programs (Windows: Add/Remove Programs or Settings > Apps), or search for executables named 'Zed.exe' or similar in Program Files directoriesAffected if Prim'X Zed! or Prim'X Zed! Free is present on the system
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Determine installed versionRight-click the Zed! application shortcut or executable, select Properties, and check the Version or File version tab. Alternatively, open the application and look in Help > About or the main window for version informationAffected if Version displays as 6.1 or lower for Zed! (any edition), or 1.0 or lower for Zed! Free
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Confirm .zed file associationCheck if .zed files are associated with Prim'X Zed! by right-clicking any .zed file and viewing 'Opens with', or checking File Explorer > View > Options > File AssociationsAffected if .zed container files are configured to open with Prim'X Zed! software
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Assess risk from untrusted containersDetermine whether the user opens ZED! container files from external or untrusted sources by reviewing recent file access or email attachmentsAffected if User opens ZED! container files from untrusted or unknown sources
User is affected if Prim'X Zed! (any edition) version 6.1 or lower or Prim'X Zed! Free version 1.0 or lower is installed and the user opens specially crafted ZED! container files from untrusted sources.
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 dataUpgrade Prim'X Zed! to a version beyond 1.0 build 186 (FREE) or 6.1 build 2208 (Limited Edition). Until patched, avoid opening ZED! containers from untrusted sources.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,600.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-16518 — 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-2018-16518 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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- 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
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