CVE-2018-19640
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 · uneditedIf the attacker manages to create files in the directory used to collect log files in supportutils before version 3.1-5.7.1 (e.g. with CVE-2018-19638) he can kill arbitrary processes on the local machine.
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 confidenceThis vulnerability in supportutils versions before 3.1-5.7.1 allows an attacker who can create files in the log collection directory (such as via CVE-2018-19638) to send signals that kill arbitrary processes on the local system, enabling local privilege escalation and denial of service.
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< 3.1-5.7.1CVSS 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
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
-
Verify supportutils package installationRun 'rpm -q supportutils' or 'dpkg -l | grep supportutils' depending on your package managerAffected if Package is not installed - not affected by this specific CVE
-
Check installed supportutils versionRun 'rpm -q --qf '%{VERSION}-%{RELEASE}' supportutils' or 'dpkg -p supportutils | grep Version'Affected if Version is lower than 3.1-5.7.1 (e.g., 3.1-5.6 or earlier)
-
Locate the supportutils log collection directoryCheck /var/log/supportutils or examine supportutils configuration files for the log output pathAffected if Directory exists and is world-writable or owned by an untrusted user
-
Inspect directory permissions and contentsRun 'ls -la' on the identified log collection directory and check for unexpected or suspicious filesAffected if Directory permissions allow untrusted users to create files (e.g., writable by group or others)
-
Check for running processes that could be targetedReview processes owned by privileged users that might be vulnerable to signal-based terminationAffected if Privileged processes are running and the log directory is writable by an attacker
You are affected if supportutils version is below 3.1-5.7.1 AND an untrusted user can create files in the supportutils log collection directory.
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 data3.1-5.7.1
Upgrade supportutils to version 3.1-5.7.1 or later. Additionally, restrict file creation permissions in the supportutils log directory to prevent unauthorized file placement.
- Consultation1.0 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 $1,664.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-19640 — 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-2018-19640 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