# CVE-2017-18348: Privilege escalation in n/a

> Local attackers can escalate privileges by modifying configuration files and inserting malicious programs when Splunk runs as root but drops privileges.

- **Severity:** High 7.0 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 19 Oct 2018
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-pwvv-fx2v-3h72

## What is CVE-2017-18348?

CVE-2017-18348 is a high-severity vulnerability in Splunk Splunk, published on 19 Oct 2018. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Splunk Enterprise 6.6.x, when configured to run as root but drop privileges to a specific non-root account, allows local users to gain privileges by leveraging access to that non-root account to modify $SPLUNK_HOME/etc/splunk-launch.conf and insert Trojan horse programs into $SPLUNK_HOME/bin, because the non-root setup instructions state that chown should be run across all of $SPLUNK_HOME to give non-root access.

Weakness: CWE-732 (Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2017-18348?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Splunk Splunk.

## How do I fix CVE-2017-18348?

No fix has been published for CVE-2017-18348 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2017-18348 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2017-18348 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Splunk Splunk

- [CVE-2026-20253](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-20253/): Splunk Enterprise Missing Authentication for Critical Function (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-76268](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-76268/): Missing Authentication for Critical Function in the Patroni REST API in Splunk Enterprise (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2026-76284](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-76284/): Improper Neutralization in Splunk Enterprise (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2026-76285](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-76285/): Improper Adherence to Coding Standards in Splunk Enterprise (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2017-17067](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-17067/): Auth bypass in n/a (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2017-18348 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2017-18348 is a high-severity vulnerability in Splunk Splunk, published on 19 Oct 2018. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2017-18348 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Splunk Splunk. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-18348/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-18348/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-18348
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-18348
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2017-18348

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-18348/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.