# CVE-2018-19788: Integer overflow in n/a

> A user with a UID greater than INT_MAX can execute arbitrary systemctl commands, leading to privilege escalation on Linux systems using PolicyKit.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 3 Dec 2018
- **Updated:** 29 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** ALPINE-CVE-2018-19788, DEBIAN-CVE-2018-19788, DSA-4350-1, GHSA-4569-2jp2-r7vf, RHSA-2019:2046, RHSA-2019:3232, SUSE-SU-2019:0015-1, SUSE-SU-2019:0019-1, SUSE-SU-2019:0019-2, UBUNTU-CVE-2018-19788, USN-3861-1, openSUSE-SU-2019:0010-1

## What is CVE-2018-19788?

CVE-2018-19788 is a high-severity vulnerability in Canonical Ubuntu Linux, published on 3 Dec 2018. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A flaw was found in PolicyKit (aka polkit) 0.115 that allows a user with a uid greater than INT_MAX to successfully execute any systemctl command.

Weakness: CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2018-19788?

It affects 3 products.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `polkit` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | All versions | 0:0.112-22.el7 |
| `polkit-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | All versions | 0:0.112-22.el7 |
| `polkit-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | All versions | 0:0.112-22.el7 |
| `polkit-docs` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | All versions | 0:0.112-22.el7 |
| `polkit` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::computenode | All versions | 0:0.112-22.el7 |
| `polkit-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::computenode | All versions | 0:0.112-22.el7 |
| `polkit-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::computenode | All versions | 0:0.112-22.el7 |
| `polkit-docs` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::computenode | All versions | 0:0.112-22.el7 |
| `polkit` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server | All versions | 0:0.112-22.el7 |
| `polkit-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server | All versions | 0:0.112-22.el7 |
| `polkit-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server | All versions | 0:0.112-22.el7 |
| `polkit-docs` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server | All versions | 0:0.112-22.el7 |
| `polkit` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::workstation | All versions | 0:0.112-22.el7 |
| `polkit-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::workstation | All versions | 0:0.112-22.el7 |
| `polkit-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::workstation | All versions | 0:0.112-22.el7 |
| `polkit-docs` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::workstation | All versions | 0:0.112-22.el7 |
| `polkit` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.6::computenode | All versions | 0:0.112-18.el7_6.2 |
| `polkit-debuginfo` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.6::computenode | All versions | 0:0.112-18.el7_6.2 |
| `polkit-devel` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.6::computenode | All versions | 0:0.112-18.el7_6.2 |
| `polkit-docs` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.6::computenode | All versions | 0:0.112-18.el7_6.2 |
| `polkit` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.6::server | All versions | 0:0.112-18.el7_6.2 |
| `polkit-debuginfo` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.6::server | All versions | 0:0.112-18.el7_6.2 |
| `polkit-devel` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.6::server | All versions | 0:0.112-18.el7_6.2 |
| `polkit-docs` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.6::server | All versions | 0:0.112-18.el7_6.2 |
| `polkit` | SUSE:Enterprise Storage 4 | All versions | 0.113-5.15.1 |
| `polkit` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 SP3 | All versions | 0.113-5.15.1 |
| `polkit` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 SP4 | All versions | 0.113-5.15.1 |
| `polkit` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 | All versions | 0.114-3.6.1 |
| `polkit` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP1-LTSS | All versions | 0.113-5.15.1 |
| `polkit` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP2-BCL | All versions | 0.113-5.15.1 |
| `polkit` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP2-LTSS | All versions | 0.113-5.15.1 |
| `polkit` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP3 | All versions | 0.113-5.15.1 |
| `polkit` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP4 | All versions | 0.113-5.15.1 |
| `polkit` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12-LTSS | All versions | 0.113-5.15.1 |
| `polkit` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP1 | All versions | 0.113-5.15.1 |
| `polkit` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP2 | All versions | 0.113-5.15.1 |
| `polkit` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP3 | All versions | 0.113-5.15.1 |
| `polkit` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP4 | All versions | 0.113-5.15.1 |
| `polkit` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 12 SP3 | All versions | 0.113-5.15.1 |
| `polkit` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 12 SP4 | All versions | 0.113-5.15.1 |

Products: Canonical Ubuntu Linux, Debian Debian Linux, Polkit Project Polkit.

## How do I fix CVE-2018-19788?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2018-19788 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2018-19788 exists.

Public exploit code:

- Leveraging CVE-2018-19788 without root shells (github_poc): https://github.com/Ekultek/PoC
- Silly easy exploit for CVE-2018-19788 (github_poc): https://github.com/AbsoZed/CVE-2018-19788
- Ansible role to check the vulnerability tracked as CVE-2018-19788, impacts PolicyKit version 0.115 which comes pre-installed on a wide range of Linux distributions (github_poc): https://github.com/d4gh0s7/CVE-2018-19788
- Exploiting The CVE-2018-19788 PolicyKit Bug (github_poc): https://github.com/jhlongjr/CVE-2018-19788

## Other vulnerabilities in Canonical Ubuntu Linux

- [CVE-2020-11651](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-11651/): SaltStack Salt Authentication Bypass (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2020-7247](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-7247/): OpenSMTPD Remote Code Execution (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2019-16928](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-16928/): Exim Out-of-bounds Write (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2018-6789](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-6789/): Exim Buffer Overflow (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2015-2590](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-2590/): Oracle Java SE and Java SE Embedded Remote Code Execution (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2018-19788 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2018-19788 is a high-severity vulnerability in Canonical Ubuntu Linux, published on 3 Dec 2018. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2018-19788 exists.

Affected product: Canonical Ubuntu 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-2018-19788/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-19788/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2018-19788
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-19788
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2018-19788

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-19788/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.