CVE-2018-18778
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 · uneditedACME mini_httpd before 1.30 lets remote users read arbitrary files.
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 confidenceACME mini_httpd before version 1.30 contains a path traversal vulnerability that allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files on the server by manipulating file paths in HTTP requests.
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< 1.30CVSS 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
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
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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Identify if mini_httpd is runningCheck running processes for mini_httpd daemon (e.g., ps aux | grep mini_httpd, or check listening ports with netstat/ss on common HTTP ports 80/443)Affected if mini_httpd process is actively running and accepting HTTP connections
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Determine installed mini_httpd versionRun mini_httpd with version flag (mini_httpd -V or mini_httpd -h) or check package manager (dpkg -l mini_httpd, rpm -qi mini_httpd)Affected if The version number returned is less than 1.30 (e.g., 1.29, 1.28, etc.)
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Verify web server is accessibleAttempt to access the HTTP service on the host (curl http://localhost/ or curl http://<target-ip>/)Affected if The web server responds and serves content, indicating it is operational
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Test for path traversal vulnerabilitySend a crafted HTTP request with directory traversal sequences (e.g., GET /../../etc/passwd HTTP/1.1 or GET /..%2f..%2f..%2fetc/passwd HTTP/1.1) and check if sensitive files are returnedAffected if The server returns file contents outside the intended web root directory (such as /etc/passwd, /etc/shadow, or other system files)
You are affected if mini_httpd version below 1.30 is running and the web server is accessible, allowing path traversal requests to escape the web root and expose arbitrary files.
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 data1.30
Upgrade to mini_httpd version 1.30 or later to obtain the patched version. If upgrading is not immediately feasible, implement strict web server access controls and filesystem permissions to restrict read access to only necessary files.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing2.0 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 $1,984.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-18778 — 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-2018-18778 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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