7.8

CVE-2018-15687: systemd: chown_one() can dereference symlinks

Modified
AliasesUBUNTU-CVE-2018-15687DEBIAN-CVE-2018-15687CGA-5cqm-63hh-77h4
Published 26-10-2018Last modified 09-06-2025

Vulnerability summary

CVE-2018-15687 is a high (CVSS 7.8) vulnerability in canonical ubuntu_linux. EPSS estimates a 1.06% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 64.5% of scored vulnerabilities. 1 public exploit is recorded.

Priority
Prioritiseweaponized exploit

Weaponized exploit (exploit-database, 29-10-2018)

Source freshness unavailable

How is this decided?
CVSS score
7.8/10
010
High · v3.0 (CVE.org)
EPSS score
1.06%
0%100%
Low · 0.00 pp in 30 days
KEVNot listedNot listed by any tracked catalog.
RansomwareNot flaggedNo ransomware use recorded.
Public exploits1exploit-database

Advisory lineage

Upstream 0 · Downstream 2 · Related 3
OPENSUSE-SU-2024:11420-1USN-3816-1CGA-QPH2-G6RR-VG25

Timeline

  1. 26-10-2018
    PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
  2. 09-06-2025
    Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.

Description

A race condition in chown_one() of systemd allows an attacker to cause systemd to set arbitrary permissions on arbitrary files. Affected releases are systemd versions up to and including 239.

CVSS metrics

8 scores · 5 sources · 3 versions

EPSS trend

Probability

1.06%

Chance of exploitation in the next 30 days

Percentile

65%

Versus all other CVEs

30-day change

No change 0.00 pp

From 1.06% on 04-10-2026

04-10-202603-11-2026

Known exploited

Compare KEV catalogs
CISA KEV

Not in the CISA KEV catalog.

ENISA CNW

Not in the ENISA CNW catalog.

CIRCL

Not in the CIRCL catalog.

Public exploits

1 found
  • exploit-databaselocallinuxVerified

    systemd - 'chown_one()' Dereference Symlinks

    Maturity: weaponized

Weaknesses

CWE · root cause

Affected systems

Version check

Known conditions: local access, low-privilege account, no user interaction (CVSS vector). Other conditions: not stated in public data.

Chainguard5 products
  • py3-systemdAll versions (No fix recorded)
  • py3.10-systemdAll versions (No fix recorded)
  • py3.11-systemdAll versions (No fix recorded)
  • py3.12-systemdAll versions (No fix recorded)
  • py3.13-systemdAll versions (No fix recorded)
Canonical1 product
Debian1 product
  • systemd< 239-11
Systemd1 product
Systemd_project1 product
Ubuntu1 product
  • systemd< 229-4ubuntu21.8 | < 237-3ubuntu10.6

6 vendors · 10 products

References

10 links