A flaw was found in polkit before version 0.116.
A flaw was found in polkit before version 0.116. The implementation of the polkit_backend_interactive_authority_check_authorization function in polkitd allows to test for authentication and trigger authentication of unrelated processes owned by other users. This may result in a local DoS and information disclosure.
- Published
- Jul 10, 2018
- Updated
- Jun 16, 2026
- EPSS
- 1.2% · 67th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-285
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Report tools
Action score
17
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 17 / 40 · 4.4 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 1.2%
CNA vs NVD score
- NVD
- 4.4
- CNA · redhat
- 4.7
- 0.3 point gap
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L
The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.
Affected systems
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| debian | debian linux | cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux |
| canonical | ubuntu linux | cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux |
| polkit project | polkit | cpe:2.3:a:polkit_project:polkit |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- canonical ubuntu linux12.04
- debian debian linux8.0
- polkit project polkitbefore 0.115
Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (redhat). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
[UNKNOWN] polkit
- polkit 0.116affected
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian:12 | policykit-1 | before 0.105-21 | 0.105-21 |
| Debian:8 | policykit-1 | before 0.105-15~deb8u3 | 0.105-15~deb8u3 |
| openSUSE:Tumbleweed | polkit | before 0.118-7.2 | 0.118-7.2 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | polkit | before 0:0.112-26.el7 | 0:0.112-26.el7 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | polkit-debuginfo | before 0:0.112-26.el7 | 0:0.112-26.el7 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | polkit-devel | before 0:0.112-26.el7 | 0:0.112-26.el7 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | polkit-docs | before 0:0.112-26.el7 | 0:0.112-26.el7 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 SP3 | polkit | before 0.113-5.9.1 | 0.113-5.9.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 | polkit | before 0.114-3.3.1 | 0.114-3.3.1 |
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Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| debian:policykit-1 | 0.105-21 · Debian:12 | Package registry (OSV) |
| opensuse:polkit | 0.118-7.2 · openSUSE:Tumbleweed | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:polkit | 0:0.112-26.el7 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:polkit-debuginfo | 0:0.112-26.el7 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:polkit-devel | 0:0.112-26.el7 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:polkit-docs | 0:0.112-26.el7 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:polkit | 0.113-5.9.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 SP3 | Package registry (OSV) |
Exploit status
No known public exploit
No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
No dated events beyond publication.
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
No credits in the CNA record.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
No nightly-computed relations.
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
No known public program.
Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Someone with local access to the system can trigger it.
- A low-privileged account is enough.
- No user action is required.
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- low · data can be read
- Integrity
- none
- Availability
- low · the service can be disrupted
- Attack vector
- Local
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- Low
- Integrity impact
- None
- Availability impact
- Low
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-285 · Improper AuthorizationCVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:L
nvd-primary
Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
Attack patterns (CAPEC)
- Accessing Functionality Not Properly Constrained by ACLsCAPEC-1likelihood: High · High
- Cross Zone ScriptingCAPEC-104likelihood: Medium · High
- Directory IndexingCAPEC-127likelihood: High · Medium
- Subverting Environment Variable ValuesCAPEC-13likelihood: High · Very High
- Using Malicious FilesCAPEC-17likelihood: High · Very High
- Manipulating Opaque Client-based Data TokensCAPEC-39likelihood: High · Medium
- Bypassing ATA Password SecurityCAPEC-402
- Buffer Overflow via Symbolic LinksCAPEC-45likelihood: High · High
ATT&CK techniques
- Data from Local SystemT1005
- Query RegistryT1012
- File and Directory DiscoveryT1083
- Access Token Manipulation:Token Impersonation/TheftT1134.001
- Use Alternate Authentication Material:Web Session CookieT1550.004
- Unsecured Credentials: Credentials in RegistryT1552.002
- Impair Defenses:Impair Command History LoggingT1562.003
- Data Manipulation: Transmitted Data ManipulationT1565.002
- Hijack Execution Flow: Executable Installer File Permissions WeaknessT1574.005
- Hijack Execution Flow:Dynamic Linker HijackingT1574.006
- Hijack Execution Flow:Path Interception by PATH Environment VariableT1574.007
- Hijack Execution Flow: ServicesFile Permissions WeaknessT1574.010
Noroxi analysis
No Noroxi analysis for this record yet
We don't hand-write analysis for all 385,000+ vulnerabilities; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.
We use this product, ask for helpChange log
- Fix✗ → ✓
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References
- bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=CVE-2018-1116
- cgit.freedesktop.org/polkit/commit/?id=bc7ffad5364
- lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2018/07/msg00042.html
- security.gentoo.org/glsa/201908-14
- usn.ubuntu.com/3717-2/
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.