# CVE-2018-7311: Privilege escalation in n/a

> A local attacker can overwrite the OpenVPN binary to execute arbitrary code as root when a VPN connection is initiated.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.1/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:** No
- **Published:** 21 Feb 2018
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-5m2f-4r3g-v997

## What is CVE-2018-7311?

CVE-2018-7311 is a high-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 21 Feb 2018. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

PrivateVPN 2.0.31 for macOS suffers from a root privilege escalation vulnerability. The software installs a privileged helper tool that runs as the root user. This privileged helper tool is installed as a LaunchDaemon and implements an XPC service. The XPC service is responsible for handling new VPN connection operations via the main PrivateVPN application. The privileged helper tool creates new VPN connections by executing the openvpn binary located in the /Applications/PrivateVPN.app/Contents/Resources directory. The openvpn binary can be overwritten by the default user, which allows an attacker that has already installed malicious software as the default user to replace the binary. When a new VPN connection is established, the privileged helper tool will launch this malicious binary, thus allowing an attacker to execute code as the root user. NOTE: the vendor has reportedly indicated that this behavior is "an acceptable part of their software.

Weakness: CWE-732 (Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2018-7311?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Privatevpn Privatevpn.

## How do I fix CVE-2018-7311?

No fix has been published for CVE-2018-7311 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2018-7311 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-7311 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2018-7715](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-7715/): Privilege escalation in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2018-7716](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-7716/): Privilege escalation in n/a (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2018-7311 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2018-7311 is a high-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 21 Feb 2018. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-7311 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-2018-7311/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-7311/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2018-7311
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-7311
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2018-7311

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-7311/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.