# CVE-2018-18068: Privilege escalation in n/a

> Non-secure code can exploit ARM debugging features to access highest privilege memory and execute arbitrary code on Raspberry Pi devices.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.8 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/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:** 4 Apr 2019
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-jr3x-5j37-8776

## What is CVE-2018-18068?

CVE-2018-18068 is a critical vulnerability in n/a, published on 4 Apr 2019. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The ARM-based hardware debugging feature on Raspberry Pi 3 module B+ and possibly other devices allows non-secure EL1 code to read/write any EL3 (the highest privilege level in ARMv8) memory/register via inter-processor debugging. With a debug host processor A running in non-secure EL1 and a debug target processor B running in any privilege level, the debugging feature allows A to halt B and promote B to any privilege level. As a debug host, A has full control of B even if B owns a higher privilege level than A. Accordingly, A can read/write any EL3 memory/register via B. Also, with this memory access, A can execute arbitrary code in EL3.

Weakness: CWE-668 (Exposure of Resource to Wrong Sphere)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2018-18068?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Raspberrypi Raspberry Pi 3 Model B\+ Firmware.

## How do I fix CVE-2018-18068?

No fix has been published for CVE-2018-18068 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2018-18068 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-18068 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2021-38545](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-38545/): Information disclosure in n/a (medium 5.9)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2018-18068 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2018-18068 is a critical vulnerability in n/a, published on 4 Apr 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-2018-18068 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-2018-18068/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-18068/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2018-18068
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-18068
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2018-18068

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-18068/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.