# CVE-2018-16948: Information disclosure in n/a

> OpenAFS RPC routines fail to initialize output variables, allowing attackers to read sensitive kernel and heap memory contents.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 12 Sep 2018
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2018-16948, GHSA-q586-r5vx-jgjf, UBUNTU-CVE-2018-16948

## What is CVE-2018-16948?

CVE-2018-16948 is a high-severity vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 12 Sep 2018. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

An issue was discovered in OpenAFS before 1.6.23 and 1.8.x before 1.8.2. Several RPC server routines did not fully initialize their output variables before returning, leaking memory contents from both the stack and the heap. Because the OpenAFS cache manager functions as an Rx server for the AFSCB service, clients are also susceptible to information leakage. For example, RXAFSCB_TellMeAboutYourself leaks kernel memory and KAM_ListEntry leaks kaserver memory.

Weakness: CWE-200 (Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2018-16948?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Debian Debian Linux, Openafs Openafs.

## How do I fix CVE-2018-16948?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2018-16948 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-16948 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Debian Debian Linux

- [CVE-2015-3306](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-3306/): ProFTPD Improper Access Control (critical 10.0, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-49113](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-49113/): RoundCube Webmail Deserialization of Untrusted Data (critical 9.9, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-24061](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-24061/): GNU InetUtils Argument Injection (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-39682](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-39682/): Linux Kernel Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-9680](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-9680/): Mozilla Firefox Use-After-Free (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2018-16948 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2018-16948 is a high-severity vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 12 Sep 2018. 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-2018-16948 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Debian Debian Linux. 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-2018-16948/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-16948/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2018-16948
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-16948
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2018-16948

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-16948/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.