# CVE-2018-16118: Command injection in n/a

> Remote attackers can execute arbitrary OS commands on Sophos XG firewalls via shell metacharacters in the X-Forwarded-for header.

- **Severity:** High 8.1 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 20 Jun 2019
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-hv57-j9mh-h2r7

## What is CVE-2018-16118?

CVE-2018-16118 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in n/a, published on 20 Jun 2019. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A shell escape vulnerability in /webconsole/APIController in the API Configuration component of Sophos XG firewall 17.0.8 MR-8 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary OS commands via shell metachracters in the "X-Forwarded-for" HTTP header.

Weakness: CWE-78 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2018-16118?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Sophos Sfos.

## How do I fix CVE-2018-16118?

No fix has been published for CVE-2018-16118 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2018-16118 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-16118 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2020-12271](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-12271/): Sophos SFOS SQL Injection (critical 10.0, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-1040](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-1040/): Sophos Firewall Authentication Bypass (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2020-11503](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-11503/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2018-16116](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-16116/): SQL injection in n/a (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2018-16117](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-16117/): Command injection in n/a (high 8.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2018-16118 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2018-16118 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in n/a, published on 20 Jun 2019. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-16118 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-2018-16118/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-16118/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2018-16118
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-16118
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2018-16118

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-16118/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.