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CVE-2018-5391· NVD / CVE Program· CNA certcc

The Linux kernel, versions 3.9+, IP implementation is vulnerable to denial of service conditions with low rates of specially modified packets

The Linux kernel, versions 3.9+, is vulnerable to a denial of service attack with low rates of specially modified packets targeting IP fragment re-assembly. An attacker may cause a denial of service condition by sending specially crafted IP fragments. Various vulnerabilities in IP fragmentation have been discovered and fixed over the years. The current vulnerability (CVE-2018-5391) became exploitable in the Linux kernel with the increase of the IP fragment reassembly queue size.

HighCVSS 7.5 · v3.1—No exploit Fix available
Published
Sep 6, 2018
Updated
Jun 16, 2026
EPSS
32.4% · 98th percentile
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Report tools

JSON

Action score

40

Plan

Add it to your regular patch cycle.

CVSS
30 / 40 · 7.5 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
10 / 30 · 32.4%

Affected systems

VendorProduct
linuxlinux kernel
redhatenterprise linux desktop
redhatenterprise linux server
redhatenterprise linux server aus
redhatenterprise linux server eus
redhatenterprise linux server tus
redhatenterprise linux workstation
debiandebian linux
canonicalubuntu linux
microsoftwindows 10
microsoftwindows 7
microsoftwindows 8.1

and 61 more

Affected versions

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

  • microsoft windows server 2008all versions
  • microsoft windows server 2008r2
  • microsoft windows server 2012all versions
  • microsoft windows server 2012r2
  • microsoft windows server 2016all versions
  • microsoft windows server 20161709
  • microsoft windows server 20161803

Versions reported by the vendor

Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (certcc). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.

  • Linux Kernel

    • 3.9 and later · before 3.9*affected

Package-level exposure

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

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Debian:12linuxbefore 4.17.15-14.17.15-1
Debian:8linux-4.9before 4.9.110-3+deb9u2~deb8u14.9.110-3+deb9u2~deb8u1
Debian:9linuxbefore 4.9.110-3+deb9u24.9.110-3+deb9u2
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::clientkernelbefore 0:2.6.32-754.6.3.el60:2.6.32-754.6.3.el6
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::clientkernel-abi-whitelistsbefore 0:2.6.32-754.6.3.el60:2.6.32-754.6.3.el6
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::clientkernel-debugbefore 0:2.6.32-754.6.3.el60:2.6.32-754.6.3.el6
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::clientkernel-debug-debuginfobefore 0:2.6.32-754.6.3.el60:2.6.32-754.6.3.el6
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::clientkernel-debug-develbefore 0:2.6.32-754.6.3.el60:2.6.32-754.6.3.el6
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::clientkernel-debuginfobefore 0:2.6.32-754.6.3.el60:2.6.32-754.6.3.el6
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::clientkernel-debuginfo-common-i686before 0:2.6.32-754.6.3.el60:2.6.32-754.6.3.el6
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::clientkernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64before 0:2.6.32-754.6.3.el60:2.6.32-754.6.3.el6
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::clientkernel-develbefore 0:2.6.32-754.6.3.el60:2.6.32-754.6.3.el6
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::clientkernel-docbefore 0:2.6.32-754.6.3.el60:2.6.32-754.6.3.el6
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::clientkernel-firmwarebefore 0:2.6.32-754.6.3.el60:2.6.32-754.6.3.el6
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::clientkernel-headersbefore 0:2.6.32-754.6.3.el60:2.6.32-754.6.3.el6
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::clientperfbefore 0:2.6.32-754.6.3.el60:2.6.32-754.6.3.el6
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::clientperf-debuginfobefore 0:2.6.32-754.6.3.el60:2.6.32-754.6.3.el6
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::clientpython-perfbefore 0:2.6.32-754.6.3.el60:2.6.32-754.6.3.el6
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::clientpython-perf-debuginfobefore 0:2.6.32-754.6.3.el60:2.6.32-754.6.3.el6
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::serverkernel-bootwrapperbefore 0:2.6.32-754.6.3.el60:2.6.32-754.6.3.el6
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::serverkernel-debuginfo-common-ppc64before 0:2.6.32-754.6.3.el60:2.6.32-754.6.3.el6
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::serverkernel-debuginfo-common-s390xbefore 0:2.6.32-754.6.3.el60:2.6.32-754.6.3.el6
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::serverkernel-kdumpbefore 0:2.6.32-754.6.3.el60:2.6.32-754.6.3.el6
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::serverkernel-kdump-debuginfobefore 0:2.6.32-754.6.3.el60:2.6.32-754.6.3.el6

+96

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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 / packageFixed versionSource
debian:linux4.17.15-1 · Debian:12Package registry (OSV)
debian:linux-4.94.9.110-3+deb9u2~deb8u1 · Debian:8Package registry (OSV)
red hat:kernel0:3.10.0-514.58.1.el7 · Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.3::computenodePackage registry (OSV)
red hat:kernel-abi-whitelists0:3.10.0-514.58.1.el7 · Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.3::computenodePackage registry (OSV)
red hat:kernel-debug0:3.10.0-514.58.1.el7 · Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.3::computenodePackage registry (OSV)
red hat:kernel-debug-debuginfo0:3.10.0-514.58.1.el7 · Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.3::computenodePackage registry (OSV)
red hat:kernel-debug-devel0:3.10.0-514.58.1.el7 · Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.3::computenodePackage registry (OSV)
red hat:kernel-debuginfo0:3.10.0-514.58.1.el7 · Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.3::computenodePackage registry (OSV)
red hat:kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_640:3.10.0-514.58.1.el7 · Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.3::computenodePackage registry (OSV)
red hat:kernel-devel0:3.10.0-514.58.1.el7 · Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.3::computenodePackage registry (OSV)
red hat:kernel-doc0:3.10.0-514.58.1.el7 · Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.3::computenodePackage registry (OSV)
red hat:kernel-headers0:3.10.0-514.58.1.el7 · Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.3::computenodePackage registry (OSV)
red hat:kernel-tools0:3.10.0-514.58.1.el7 · Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.3::computenodePackage registry (OSV)
red hat:kernel-tools-debuginfo0:3.10.0-514.58.1.el7 · Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.3::computenodePackage registry (OSV)
suse:kernel-azure4.4.143-4.13.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP3Package registry (OSV)
suse:kernel-default4.4.121-92.92.1 · SUSE:OpenStack Cloud 7Package registry (OSV)
suse:kernel-docs4.12.14-25.13.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15Package registry (OSV)
suse:kernel-docs-azure4.4.143-4.13.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 12 SP3Package registry (OSV)
suse:kernel-obs-build4.12.14-25.13.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15Package registry (OSV)
suse:kernel-source4.4.121-92.92.1 · SUSE:OpenStack Cloud 7Package registry (OSV)
suse:kernel-source-azure4.4.143-4.13.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP3Package registry (OSV)
suse:kernel-syms4.4.121-92.92.1 · SUSE:OpenStack Cloud 7Package registry (OSV)
suse:kernel-vanilla4.12.14-25.13.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15Package registry (OSV)
suse:kernel-zfcpdump4.12.14-25.13.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15Package registry (OSV)
suse:kgraft-patch-SLE12-SP2_Update_241-3.7.1 · SUSE:OpenStack Cloud 7Package registry (OSV)
suse:lttng-modules2.7.1-9.4.1 · SUSE:OpenStack Cloud 7Package 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.

Finders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.

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

  • Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
  • No account or password is required.
  • No user action is required.
  • No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.

If successful

Confidentiality
none
Integrity
none
Availability
high · the service can be disrupted
Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality impact
None
Integrity impact
None
Availability impact
High

CVSS vector

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

nvd-primary

Root cause

Code that parses nested structures sets no depth or size limit. A small input can turn into a disproportionate processing load.

A representative example of this vulnerability class. Not the vendor's source code; it shows the faulty pattern and its fix.

Vulnerable

ts
function expand(node) {  return node.children.map(expand);}

Fixed

ts
const MAX_DEPTH = 32;function expand(node, depth = 0) {  if (depth > MAX_DEPTH) throw new Error("too deep");  return node.children.map((c) => expand(c, depth + 1));}

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

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.

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Change log

  1. Fix✗ → ✓

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References

All records