# CVE-2018-14646: Null dereference in kernel:

> A local attacker can trigger a kernel panic via a NULL pointer dereference in the netlink subsystem, causing a denial of service.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.5 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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:** Yes
- **Published:** 26 Nov 2018
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-x5cj-fgc8-52c7, RHSA-2018:3843

## What is CVE-2018-14646?

CVE-2018-14646 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 26 Nov 2018. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The Linux kernel before 4.15-rc8 was found to be vulnerable to a NULL pointer dereference bug in the __netlink_ns_capable() function in the net/netlink/af_netlink.c file. A local attacker could exploit this when a net namespace with a netnsid is assigned to cause a kernel panic and a denial of service.

Weakness: CWE-476 (NULL Pointer Dereference)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2018-14646?

It affects 7 products.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `kernel` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.5::computenode | All versions | 0:3.10.0-862.25.3.el7 |
| `kernel-abi-whitelists` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.5::computenode | All versions | 0:3.10.0-862.25.3.el7 |
| `kernel-debug` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.5::computenode | All versions | 0:3.10.0-862.25.3.el7 |
| `kernel-debug-debuginfo` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.5::computenode | All versions | 0:3.10.0-862.25.3.el7 |
| `kernel-debug-devel` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.5::computenode | All versions | 0:3.10.0-862.25.3.el7 |
| `kernel-debuginfo` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.5::computenode | All versions | 0:3.10.0-862.25.3.el7 |
| `kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.5::computenode | All versions | 0:3.10.0-862.25.3.el7 |
| `kernel-devel` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.5::computenode | All versions | 0:3.10.0-862.25.3.el7 |
| `kernel-doc` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.5::computenode | All versions | 0:3.10.0-862.25.3.el7 |
| `kernel-headers` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.5::computenode | All versions | 0:3.10.0-862.25.3.el7 |
| `kernel-tools` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.5::computenode | All versions | 0:3.10.0-862.25.3.el7 |
| `kernel-tools-debuginfo` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.5::computenode | All versions | 0:3.10.0-862.25.3.el7 |
| `kernel-tools-libs` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.5::computenode | All versions | 0:3.10.0-862.25.3.el7 |
| `kernel-tools-libs-devel` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.5::computenode | All versions | 0:3.10.0-862.25.3.el7 |
| `perf` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.5::computenode | All versions | 0:3.10.0-862.25.3.el7 |
| `perf-debuginfo` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.5::computenode | All versions | 0:3.10.0-862.25.3.el7 |
| `python-perf` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.5::computenode | All versions | 0:3.10.0-862.25.3.el7 |
| `python-perf-debuginfo` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.5::computenode | All versions | 0:3.10.0-862.25.3.el7 |
| `kernel` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.5::server | All versions | 0:3.10.0-862.25.3.el7 |
| `kernel-abi-whitelists` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.5::server | All versions | 0:3.10.0-862.25.3.el7 |
| `kernel-bootwrapper` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.5::server | All versions | 0:3.10.0-862.25.3.el7 |
| `kernel-debug` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.5::server | All versions | 0:3.10.0-862.25.3.el7 |
| `kernel-debug-debuginfo` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.5::server | All versions | 0:3.10.0-862.25.3.el7 |
| `kernel-debug-devel` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.5::server | All versions | 0:3.10.0-862.25.3.el7 |
| `kernel-debuginfo` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.5::server | All versions | 0:3.10.0-862.25.3.el7 |
| `kernel-debuginfo-common-ppc64` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.5::server | All versions | 0:3.10.0-862.25.3.el7 |
| `kernel-debuginfo-common-ppc64le` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.5::server | All versions | 0:3.10.0-862.25.3.el7 |
| `kernel-debuginfo-common-s390x` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.5::server | All versions | 0:3.10.0-862.25.3.el7 |
| `kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.5::server | All versions | 0:3.10.0-862.25.3.el7 |
| `kernel-devel` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.5::server | All versions | 0:3.10.0-862.25.3.el7 |
| `kernel-doc` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.5::server | All versions | 0:3.10.0-862.25.3.el7 |
| `kernel-headers` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.5::server | All versions | 0:3.10.0-862.25.3.el7 |
| `kernel-kdump` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.5::server | All versions | 0:3.10.0-862.25.3.el7 |
| `kernel-kdump-debuginfo` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.5::server | All versions | 0:3.10.0-862.25.3.el7 |
| `kernel-kdump-devel` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.5::server | All versions | 0:3.10.0-862.25.3.el7 |
| `kernel-tools` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.5::server | All versions | 0:3.10.0-862.25.3.el7 |
| `kernel-tools-debuginfo` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.5::server | All versions | 0:3.10.0-862.25.3.el7 |
| `kernel-tools-libs` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.5::server | All versions | 0:3.10.0-862.25.3.el7 |
| `kernel-tools-libs-devel` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.5::server | All versions | 0:3.10.0-862.25.3.el7 |
| `perf` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.5::server | All versions | 0:3.10.0-862.25.3.el7 |

Products: Linux kernel, Redhat Enterprise Linux Desktop, Redhat Enterprise Linux Server, Redhat Enterprise Linux Server Aus, Redhat Enterprise Linux Server Eus, Redhat Enterprise Linux Server Tus, Redhat Enterprise Linux Workstation.

## How do I fix CVE-2018-14646?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2018-14646 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-14646 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel

- [CVE-2026-53266](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53266/): Linux Kernel Out-of-Bounds Write (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-6282](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-6282/): Linux Kernel Improper Input Validation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-0185](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0185/): Linux Kernel Heap-Based Buffer Overflow (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-2094](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-2094/): Linux Kernel Privilege Escalation (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-53362](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53362/): Linux Kernel Unspecified (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2018-14646 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2018-14646 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 26 Nov 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-2018-14646 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux kernel. 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-2018-14646/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-14646/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2018-14646
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-14646
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2018-14646

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-14646/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.