# CVE-2018-11116: Missing authorization in n/a

> Authenticated users can bypass access controls to execute arbitrary ubus methods, potentially leading to information disclosure or code execution.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/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:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 19 Jun 2018
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-9jrm-6fhc-fqrh

## What is CVE-2018-11116?

CVE-2018-11116 is a high-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Openwrt Openwrt, published on 19 Jun 2018. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

OpenWrt mishandles access control in /etc/config/rpcd and the /usr/share/rpcd/acl.d files, which allows remote authenticated users to call arbitrary methods (i.e., achieve ubus access over HTTP) that were only supposed to be accessible to a specific user, as demonstrated by the file, log, and service namespaces, potentially leading to remote Information Disclosure or Code Execution. NOTE: The developer disputes this as a vulnerability, indicating that rpcd functions appropriately

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2018-11116?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Openwrt Openwrt.

## How do I fix CVE-2018-11116?

No fix has been published for CVE-2018-11116 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2018-11116 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-11116 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Openwrt Openwrt

- [CVE-2020-28951](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-28951/): Use after free in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2026-62948](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-62948/): Cross-site scripting in openwrt (critical 9.6)
- [CVE-2026-30871](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-30871/): OpenWrt Project has Stack-based Buffer Overflow in DNS PTR Query (critical 9.5)
- [CVE-2026-30872](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-30872/): OpenWrt Project has a Stack-based Buffer Overflow vulnerability via IPv6 reverse DNS lookup (critical 9.5)
- [CVE-2021-28961](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-28961/): Command injection in n/a (high 8.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2018-11116 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2018-11116 is a high-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Openwrt Openwrt, published on 19 Jun 2018. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-11116 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Openwrt Openwrt. 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-2018-11116/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-11116/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2018-11116
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-11116
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2018-11116

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-11116/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.