High severity · published Jan 29, 2018
CVE-2017-18078
systemd-tmpfiles in systemd before 237 attempts to support ownership/permission changes on hardlinked files even if the fs.protected_hardlinks sysctl is turned off, which allows…
7.8
CVSS
1.1%
EPSS
No
On KEV
Description
systemd-tmpfiles in systemd before 237 attempts to support ownership/permission changes on hardlinked files even if the fs.protected_hardlinks sysctl is turned off, which allows local users to bypass intended access restrictions via vectors involving a hard link to a file for which the user lacks write access, as demonstrated by changing the ownership of the /etc/passwd file.
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High
Scope
Unchanged
Exploitation
Is it being used?
Exploit prediction (EPSS)1.1% · higher than 65% of CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo evidence yet
CISA KEVNot listed
Ransomware campaign useNot known
Affected products
Which versions
DL
Debian Linux · Debian
8.0 · source: NVD
LE
Leap · Opensuse
42.3 · source: NVD
SY
Systemd · Systemd Project
before 237 · source: NVD
References
NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-18078
CVE.org
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-18078
Mailing List
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-updates/2018-02/msg00109.html
Exploit
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/146184/systemd-Local-Privilege-Escalation.html
Exploit
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2018/01/29/3
Exploit
https://github.com/systemd/systemd/issues/7736
lists.apache.org
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r58af02e294bd07f487e2c64ffc0a29b837db5600e33b6e698b9d696b%40%3Cissues.bookkeeper.apache.org%3E
lists.apache.org
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rf4c02775860db415b4955778a131c2795223f61cb8c6a450893651e4%40%3Cissues.bookkeeper.apache.org%3E
More from Debian Linux
10.0
CVE-2025-32433
Erlang/OTP SSH Vulnerable to Pre-Authentication RCE
10.0
CVE-2025-24201
Apple Multiple Products WebKit Out-of-Bounds Write Vulnerability
10.0
CVE-2021-44228
Apache Log4j2 JNDI features do not protect against attacker controlled LDAP and other JNDI related endpoints
10.0
CVE-2015-3306
ProFTPD Improper Access Control Vulnerability
9.8
CVE-2026-24061
GNU InetUtils Argument Injection Vulnerability