# CVE-2018-11099: Information disclosure in n/a

> Remote attackers can disclose sensitive information via heap-based buffer over-read in VCFtools by processing a crafted VCF file.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.5 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 17 May 2018
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2018-11099, GHSA-v33r-7jqx-q3xh, UBUNTU-CVE-2018-11099

## What is CVE-2018-11099?

CVE-2018-11099 is a medium-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 17 May 2018. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

The header::add_INFO_descriptor function in header.cpp in VCFtools 0.1.15 allows remote attackers to cause information disclosure (heap-based buffer over-read) via a crafted vcf file.

Weakness: CWE-125 (Out-of-bounds Read)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2018-11099?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Vcftools Project Vcftools.

## How do I fix CVE-2018-11099?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2018-11099 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-11099 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2019-1010127](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-1010127/): Use after free in vcftools (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2018-11129](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-11129/): Use after free in n/a (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2018-11130](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-11130/): Use after free in n/a (high 7.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2018-11099 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2018-11099 is a medium-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 17 May 2018. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-11099 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: n/a. 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-2018-11099/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-11099/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2018-11099
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-11099
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2018-11099

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-11099/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.