CVE-2018-18447
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 · unediteddotPDN Paint.NET before 4.1.2 allows Deserialization of Untrusted Data (issue 2 of 2).
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 confidencePaint.NET versions before 4.1.2 contain a deserialization vulnerability where untrusted data is deserialized without proper validation, potentially allowing remote code execution. This is the second of two deserialization issues (CVE-2018-18446 being the first).
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< 4.1.2CVSS 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:3.1/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.
-
Verify Paint.NET is installedCheck for Paint.NET installation by looking in the program files directory (typically C:\Program Files\paint.net or C:\Program Files (x86)\paint.net) or in the list of installed applications in Windows Settings > Apps & featuresAffected if Paint.NET is found installed on the system
-
Determine installed Paint.NET versionRight-click the paint.net.exe file, select Properties, and view the Version tab, or open Paint.NET and go to Help > About to see the exact version numberAffected if The version shown is lower than 4.1.2 (for example, 4.1.1, 4.0.6, etc.)
-
Confirm deserialization usage in environmentDetermine if Paint.NET is used to open or process files from untrusted sources, or if the application is integrated into automated workflows that accept external inputAffected if Paint.NET processes files from untrusted or external sources without additional validation steps
-
Check for related deserialization CVENote that CVE-2018-18446 is a related prior deserialization issue in the same product line - ensure both CVEs are considered in vulnerability assessmentAffected if Both CVE-2018-18446 and CVE-2018-18447 apply to versions before 4.1.2
The system is affected if Paint.NET version is installed and it is lower than 4.1.2, especially if the application processes 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.
dbcve · scoped4.1.2
Update Paint.NET to version 4.1.2 or later to patch the deserialization vulnerability.
Paint.net 4.1.2
- Open Paint.net and go to Help > About to check the current installed version
- If version is below 4.1.2, navigate to the official Paint.net download page at www.getpaint.net
- Download Paint.net version 4.1.2 or later
- Verify the downloaded installer authenticity if possible (check digital signature)
- Close Paint.net completely before upgrading
- Run the installer and follow the prompts to upgrade
- After installation, verify the new version by checking Help > About
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing1.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,200.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-18447 — 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-2018-18447 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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.
- 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