# CVE-2018-16301: Memory corruption in tcpdump > A buffer overflow in tcpdump's command-line argument parser allows attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service by providing a specific large file name. - **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`) - **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:** 3 Oct 2019 - **Updated:** 8 Oct 2026 - **Also known as:** ALPINE-CVE-2018-16301, AZL-8506, DEBIAN-CVE-2018-16301, GHSA-h8wh-rj39-x373, OESA-2022-1862, OESA-2022-1863, SUSE-SU-2022:0505-1, SUSE-SU-2022:0774-1, SUSE-SU-2022:14890-1, UBUNTU-CVE-2018-16301, openSUSE-SU-2022:0774-1 ## What is CVE-2018-16301? CVE-2018-16301 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Tcpdump Tcpdump, published on 3 Oct 2019. 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 command-line argument parser in tcpdump before 4.99.0 has a buffer overflow in tcpdump.c:read_infile(). To trigger this vulnerability the attacker needs to create a 4GB file on the local filesystem and to specify the file name as the value of the -F command-line argument of tcpdump. Weakness: CWE-120 (Buffer Copy without Checking Size of Input), CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write), CWE-190 (Integer Overflow or Wraparound) ## Which versions are affected by CVE-2018-16301? It affects 1 product. | Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | `tcpdump` | SUSE:Enterprise Storage 6 | All versions | 4.9.2-3.18.1 | | `tcpdump` | SUSE:Enterprise Storage 7 | All versions | 4.9.2-3.18.1 | | `tcpdump` | SUSE:HPE Helion OpenStack 8 | All versions | 4.9.2-14.20.1 | | `tcpdump` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP1-ESPOS | All versions | 4.9.2-3.18.1 | | `tcpdump` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP1-LTSS | All versions | 4.9.2-3.18.1 | | `tcpdump` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP2-ESPOS | All versions | 4.9.2-3.18.1 | | `tcpdump` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP2-LTSS | All versions | 4.9.2-3.18.1 | | `tcpdump` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15-ESPOS | All versions | 4.9.2-3.18.1 | | `tcpdump` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15-LTSS | All versions | 4.9.2-3.18.1 | | `tcpdump` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP3 | All versions | 4.9.2-3.18.1 | | `tcpdump` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Point of Sale 11 SP3 | All versions | 3.9.8-1.30.19.1 | | `tcpdump` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Real Time 15 SP2 | All versions | 4.9.2-3.18.1 | | `tcpdump` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 11 SP4-LTSS | All versions | 3.9.8-1.30.19.1 | | `tcpdump` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP2-BCL | All versions | 4.9.2-14.20.1 | | `tcpdump` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP3-BCL | All versions | 4.9.2-14.20.1 | | `tcpdump` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP3-LTSS | All versions | 4.9.2-14.20.1 | | `tcpdump` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP4-LTSS | All versions | 4.9.2-14.20.1 | | `tcpdump` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP5 | All versions | 4.9.2-14.20.1 | | `tcpdump` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP1-BCL | All versions | 4.9.2-3.18.1 | | `tcpdump` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP1-LTSS | All versions | 4.9.2-3.18.1 | | `tcpdump` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP2-BCL | All versions | 4.9.2-3.18.1 | | `tcpdump` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP2-LTSS | All versions | 4.9.2-3.18.1 | | `tcpdump` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 15-LTSS | All versions | 4.9.2-3.18.1 | | `tcpdump` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP3 | All versions | 4.9.2-14.20.1 | | `tcpdump` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP4 | All versions | 4.9.2-14.20.1 | | `tcpdump` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP5 | All versions | 4.9.2-14.20.1 | | `tcpdump` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 | All versions | 4.9.2-3.18.1 | | `tcpdump` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP1 | All versions | 4.9.2-3.18.1 | | `tcpdump` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP2 | All versions | 4.9.2-3.18.1 | | `tcpdump` | SUSE:Manager Proxy 4.1 | All versions | 4.9.2-3.18.1 | | `tcpdump` | SUSE:Manager Retail Branch Server 4.1 | All versions | 4.9.2-3.18.1 | | `tcpdump` | SUSE:Manager Server 4.1 | All versions | 4.9.2-3.18.1 | | `tcpdump` | SUSE:OpenStack Cloud 8 | All versions | 4.9.2-14.20.1 | | `tcpdump` | SUSE:OpenStack Cloud 9 | All versions | 4.9.2-14.20.1 | | `tcpdump` | SUSE:OpenStack Cloud Crowbar 8 | All versions | 4.9.2-14.20.1 | | `tcpdump` | SUSE:OpenStack Cloud Crowbar 9 | All versions | 4.9.2-14.20.1 | | `tcpdump` | openSUSE:Leap 15.3 | All versions | 4.9.2-3.18.1 | Products: Tcpdump Tcpdump. ## How do I fix CVE-2018-16301? Upgrade to a fixed version. ## Is CVE-2018-16301 being exploited? There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-16301 in the wild and no public exploit code. ## Other vulnerabilities in Tcpdump Tcpdump - [CVE-2018-10103](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-10103/): tcpdump before 4.9.3 mishandles the printing of SMB data (issue 1 of 2). (critical 9.8) - [CVE-2018-10105](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-10105/): Denial of service in n/a (critical 9.8) - [CVE-2017-12893](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-12893/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 9.8) - [CVE-2017-12894](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-12894/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 9.8) - [CVE-2017-12895](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-12895/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 9.8) ## Fix prompt for AI coding agents ```text Check this codebase for CVE-2018-16301 and fix it if it is affected. What it is: CVE-2018-16301 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Tcpdump Tcpdump, published on 3 Oct 2019. 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-2018-16301 in the wild and no public exploit code. Affected product: Tcpdump Tcpdump. 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-2018-16301/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-16301/index.md) ``` ## Sources - CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2018-16301 - NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-16301 - OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2018-16301 --- From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-16301/ Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.