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CVE-2018-10896· NVD / CVE Program· CNA redhat

The default cloud-init configuration, in cloud-init 0.6.2 and newer, included "ssh_deletekeys: 0", disabling cloud-init's deletion of ssh ho

The default cloud-init configuration, in cloud-init 0.6.2 and newer, included "ssh_deletekeys: 0", disabling cloud-init's deletion of ssh host keys. In some environments, this could lead to instances created by cloning a golden master or template system, sharing ssh host keys, and being able to impersonate one another or conduct man-in-the-middle attacks.

HighCVSS 7.1 · v3.1—No exploit Fix available
Published
Aug 1, 2018
Updated
Jun 16, 2026
EPSS
0.4% · 26th percentile
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Report tools

JSON

Action score

28

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
28 / 40 · 7.1 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
0 / 30 · 0.4%

CNA vs NVD score

NVD
7.1
CNA · redhat
4.6
2.5 point gap

CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N

The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.

Affected systems

VendorProduct
canonicalcloud-init

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

  • canonical cloud-init0.6.2 and later · before 18.4

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.

  • Canonical cloud-init

    • 0.6.2affected

Package-level exposure

OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::servercloud-initbefore 0:19.4-7.el70:19.4-7.el7
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstreamcloud-initbefore 0:19.4-1.el8.70:19.4-1.el8.7
Red Hat:rhel_eus:8.2::appstreamcloud-initbefore 0:18.5-12.el8_2.30:18.5-12.el8_2.3

Same product

canonical: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2012-6639An privilege elevation vulnerability exists in Cloud-init before 0.7.0 when requests to an untrusted system are submitted for EC2 instance d
    36Monitor
  • CVE-2024-6174When a non-x86 platform is detected, cloud-init grants root access to a hardcoded url with a local IP address.
    35Monitor
  • CVE-2023-1786sensitive data exposure in cloud-init logs
    22Monitor
  • CVE-2022-2084sensitive data exposure in cloud-init logs
    22Monitor
  • CVE-2021-3429sensitive data exposure in cloud-init logs
    22Monitor
  • CVE-2020-8632In cloud-init through 19.4, rand_user_password in cloudinit/config/cc_set_passwords.py has a small default pwlen value, which makes it easie
    22Monitor

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

Product / packageFixed versionSource
red hat:cloud-init0:19.4-1.el8.7 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstreamPackage 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.

EPSS, last 120 days

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.

No commit or PR link among the references.

Credits

All researchers

Finders, 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
high · data can be read
Integrity
high · data or configuration can be modified
Availability
none
Attack vector
Local
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality impact
High
Integrity impact
High
Availability impact
None

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-321 · Use of Hard-coded Cryptographic Key

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N

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.

MITRE has no CAPEC/ATT&CK mapping for this CWE.

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 help

Change log

  1. Fix✗ → ✓

For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →

References

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

All records