polkit: Improper handling of user with uid > INT_MAX leading to authentication bypass
Published Dec 3, 2018
8.8
HIGHCVSS 3.0
EPSS 11.48%
Description
A flaw was found in PolicyKit (aka polkit) 0.115 that allows a user with a uid greater than INT_MAX to successfully execute any systemctl command.
Affected products
No data.
Configuration 1
- 0.115
Configuration 2
- 8.0
- 9.0
Configuration 3
- 12.04
- 14.04
- 16.04
- 18.04
- 18.10
No data.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
polkit-0:0.112-22.el7
Fixed · RHSA-2019:2046
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.6 Extended Update Support
polkit-0:0.112-18.el7_6.2
Fixed · RHSA-2019:3232
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
polkit
Will not fix
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
polkit
Not affected
Red Hat Virtualization 4
redhat-virtualization-host
Will not fix
Red Hat Virtualization 4
rhvm-appliance
Will not fix
| Product | Package | State | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | polkit-0:0.112-22.el7 | Fixed | RHSA-2019:2046 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.6 Extended Update Support | polkit-0:0.112-18.el7_6.2 | Fixed | RHSA-2019:3232 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | polkit | Will not fix | n/a |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | polkit | Not affected | n/a |
| Red Hat Virtualization 4 | redhat-virtualization-host | Will not fix | n/a |
| Red Hat Virtualization 4 | rhvm-appliance | Will not fix | n/a |
No package ranges for this CVE.
Remediation
Red Hat statement
This issue affects the versions of polkit as shipped with Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 and 7. Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 is now in Maintenance Support 2 Phase of the support and maintenance life cycle. This has been rated as having a security impact of Moderate, and is not currently planned to be addressed in future updates. For additional information, refer to the Red Hat Enterprise Linux Life Cycle: https://access.redhat.com/support/policy/updates/errata/. This issue affects the versions of polkit as shipped with Red Hat Virtualization 4. System users beyond those created at installation time are typically not used in Red Hat Virtualization Hypervisor or Management Appliance hosts, nor is there any opportunity to accidentally or maliciously create a user with a dangerous uid/gid on these systems under normal operation. For Red Hat Virtualization, this vulnerability has been rated as having a security impact of Low. Future updates may address this issue.
Red Hat mitigation
Do not allow negative UIDs or UIDs greater than 2147483647.
Metrics
No CVSS v4.0 score for this CVE.
No CVSS v3.1 score for this CVE.
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
1 other source (Red Hat) ▾
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
AV:N/AC:L/Au:S/C:C/I:C/A:C
This CVE is not in the KEV list.
CISA SSVC (Vulnrichment)
Stakeholder-Specific Vulnerability Categorization from CISA ADP.
Exploitation
PoCAutomatable
NoTechnical Impact
TotalDecision
n/aAssessed Aug 29, 2024 · SSVC 2.0.3
Estimated probability of exploitation in the wild in the next 30 days (FIRST EPSS). As of Oct 1, 2026.
Score over time
2021–2026- EPSS v1
- EPSS v2
- EPSS v3
- EPSS v4
- EPSS v5
Percentile over time
- EPSS v1
- EPSS v2
- EPSS v3
- EPSS v4
- EPSS v5
Table of values (35 key points)
Flat stretches are collapsed; showing up to 120 newest points.
| Date | Score | Percentile | Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2026 | 11.48% (0.11483) | 95.89th | v5 (v2026.06.15) |
| Sep 22, 2026 | 11.48% (0.11483) | 95.82th | v5 (v2026.06.15) |
| Sep 21, 2026 | 9.19% (0.09186) | 95.16th | v5 (v2026.06.15) |
| Sep 6, 2026 | 11.48% (0.11483) | 95.73th | v5 (v2026.06.15) |
| Sep 5, 2026 | 9.19% (0.09186) | 95.06th | v5 (v2026.06.15) |
| Aug 30, 2026 | 11.48% (0.11483) | 95.70th | v5 (v2026.06.15) |
| Aug 28, 2026 | 9.19% (0.09186) | 95.03th | v5 (v2026.06.15) |
| Aug 24, 2026 | 11.48% (0.11483) | 95.68th | v5 (v2026.06.15) |
| Aug 23, 2026 | 9.19% (0.09186) | 95.01th | v5 (v2026.06.15) |
| Jun 15, 2026 | 11.48% (0.11483) | 95.45th | v5 (v2026.06.15) |
| Nov 21, 2025 | 59.64% (0.59639) | 98.15th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Nov 18, 2025 | 66.10% (0.66103) | 98.52th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Sep 3, 2025 | 60.01% (0.60013) | 98.22th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Aug 30, 2025 | 58.76% (0.58757) | 98.14th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Jul 13, 2025 | 41.24% (0.41245) | 97.24th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Mar 30, 2025 | 42.30% (0.42303) | 97.18th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Mar 29, 2025 | 67.27% (0.67271) | 98.02th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Mar 28, 2025 | 42.30% (0.42303) | 97.17th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Mar 27, 2025 | 67.27% (0.67271) | 98.38th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Mar 20, 2025 | 58.34% (0.58345) | 98.04th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Mar 19, 2025 | 67.27% (0.67271) | 98.41th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Mar 17, 2025 | 58.34% (0.58345) | 97.98th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Dec 12, 2024 | 0.60% (0.00597) | 79.12th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Jun 4, 2024 | 0.60% (0.00597) | 78.40th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Apr 25, 2024 | 0.74% (0.00739) | 80.60th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Mar 5, 2024 | 0.87% (0.00871) | 81.95th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Mar 29, 2023 | 0.87% (0.00871) | 79.95th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Mar 7, 2023 | 0.88% (0.00883) | 80.03th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Mar 6, 2023 | 16.20% (0.16200) | 96.11th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
| Apr 1, 2022 | 16.20% (0.16200) | 95.76th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
| Feb 4, 2022 | 16.20% (0.16200) | 92.74th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
| Feb 3, 2022 | 8.66% (0.08659) | 85.81th | v1 |
| Jan 6, 2022 | 8.66% (0.08659) | 85.64th | v1 |
| Sep 1, 2021 | 8.66% (0.08659) | 92.95th | v1 |
| Apr 14, 2021 | 8.66% (0.08659) | 0.00th | v1 |
References (14)
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:2046 vendor-advisoryx_refsource_REDHAT
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:3232 vendor-advisoryx_refsource_REDHAT
- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2018-19788 Vendor Advisory
- https://bugs.debian.org/915332 x_refsource_MISCIssue TrackingMailing ListThird Party Advisory
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1655925 Issue Tracking
- https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/polkit/polkit/issues/74 x_refsource_MISCExploitPatchThird Party Advisory
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2019/01/msg00021.html mailing-listx_refsource_MLISTThird Party Advisory
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-19788
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201908-14 vendor-advisoryx_refsource_GENTOO
- https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20240816-0001/
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/3861-1/ vendor-advisoryx_refsource_UBUNTUThird Party Advisory
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/3861-2/ vendor-advisoryx_refsource_UBUNTUThird Party Advisory
- https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2018-19788
- https://www.debian.org/security/2018/dsa-4350 vendor-advisoryx_refsource_DEBIANThird Party Advisory
Change history (0)
No recorded changes yet.