# CVE-2018-7738: Command injection in n/a > Local attackers can gain privileges by embedding shell commands in mountpoint names, exploiting unsafe bash completion handling in util-linux. - **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:L/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:** Local or same network only - **Victim action needed:** Not needed - **Fix available:** Yes - **Published:** 6 Mar 2018 - **Updated:** 13 Dec 2024 - **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2018-7738, DSA-4134-1, GHSA-jh5x-7c5f-4c44, MGASA-2018-0237, SUSE-SU-2018:2066-1, SUSE-SU-2018:2071-1, SUSE-SU-2018:3926-1, SUSE-SU-2019:0390-1, SUSE-SU-2023:3268-1, SUSE-SU-2023:4372-1, SUSE-SU-2023:4512-1, UBUNTU-CVE-2018-7738, USN-4512-1 ## What is CVE-2018-7738? CVE-2018-7738 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in n/a, published on 6 Mar 2018. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim. ### Official description In util-linux before 2.32-rc1, bash-completion/umount allows local users to gain privileges by embedding shell commands in a mountpoint name, which is mishandled during a umount command (within Bash) by a different user, as demonstrated by logging in as root and entering umount followed by a tab character for autocompletion. ## Which versions are affected by CVE-2018-7738? It affects 1 product. | Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | `python-libmount` | SUSE:Enterprise Storage 4 | All versions | 2.28-44.18.38 | | `util-linux` | SUSE:Enterprise Storage 4 | All versions | 2.28-44.18.18 | | `util-linux-systemd` | SUSE:Enterprise Storage 4 | All versions | 2.28-44.18.25 | | `python-libmount` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 SP3 | All versions | 2.29.2-3.12.1 | | `python-libmount` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 SP3 | All versions | 2.29.2-3.8.1 | | `util-linux` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 SP3 | All versions | 2.29.2-3.12.1 | | `util-linux` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 SP3 | All versions | 2.29.2-3.8.1 | | `util-linux-systemd` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 SP3 | All versions | 2.29.2-3.12.1 | | `util-linux-systemd` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 SP3 | All versions | 2.29.2-3.8.1 | | `util-linux` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP1-LTSS | All versions | 2.33.2-150100.4.40.1 | | `util-linux-systemd` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP1-LTSS | All versions | 2.33.2-150100.4.40.1 | | `util-linux` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP2-LTSS | All versions | 2.33.2-150100.4.40.1 | | `util-linux-systemd` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP2-LTSS | All versions | 2.33.2-150100.4.40.1 | | `util-linux` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 | All versions | 2.31.1-9.3.1 | | `util-linux-systemd` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 | All versions | 2.31.1-9.3.1 | | `util-linux-systemd` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Server Applications 15 | All versions | 2.31.1-9.3.1 | | `python-libmount` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP2-BCL | All versions | 2.28-44.18.38 | | `util-linux` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP2-BCL | All versions | 2.28-44.18.18 | | `util-linux-systemd` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP2-BCL | All versions | 2.28-44.18.25 | | `python-libmount` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP2-LTSS | All versions | 2.28-44.18.38 | | `util-linux` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP2-LTSS | All versions | 2.28-44.18.18 | | `util-linux-systemd` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP2-LTSS | All versions | 2.28-44.18.25 | | `python-libmount` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP3 | All versions | 2.29.2-3.12.1 | | `python-libmount` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP3 | All versions | 2.29.2-3.8.1 | | `util-linux` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP3 | All versions | 2.29.2-3.12.1 | | `util-linux` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP3 | All versions | 2.29.2-3.8.1 | | `util-linux-systemd` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP3 | All versions | 2.29.2-3.12.1 | | `util-linux-systemd` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP3 | All versions | 2.29.2-3.8.1 | | `python-libmount` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP5 | All versions | 2.33.2-4.33.1 | | `util-linux` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP5 | All versions | 2.33.2-4.33.1 | | `util-linux-systemd` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP5 | All versions | 2.33.2-4.33.1 | | `util-linux` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP1-LTSS | All versions | 2.33.2-150100.4.40.1 | | `util-linux-systemd` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP1-LTSS | All versions | 2.33.2-150100.4.40.1 | | `util-linux` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP2-LTSS | All versions | 2.33.2-150100.4.40.1 | | `util-linux-systemd` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP2-LTSS | All versions | 2.33.2-150100.4.40.1 | | `python-libmount` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP2 | All versions | 2.28-44.18.38 | | `util-linux` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP2 | All versions | 2.28-44.18.18 | | `util-linux-systemd` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP2 | All versions | 2.28-44.18.25 | | `python-libmount` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP3 | All versions | 2.29.2-3.12.1 | | `python-libmount` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP3 | All versions | 2.29.2-3.8.1 | Products: Kernel Util-Linux. ## How do I fix CVE-2018-7738? Upgrade to a fixed version. ## Is CVE-2018-7738 being exploited? There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-7738 in the wild and no public exploit code. ## Other vulnerabilities in n/a - [CVE-2015-5224](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-5224/): Race condition in n/a (critical 9.8) - [CVE-2016-2779](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-2779/): Privilege escalation in n/a (high 7.8) - [CVE-2026-13595](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-13595/): Util-linux: util-linux: heap use-after-free in libblkid nested partition probing (medium 6.8) - [CVE-2020-21583](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-21583/): Command injection in n/a (medium 6.7) - [CVE-2022-0563](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0563/): Information disclosure in util-linux (medium 5.5) ## Fix prompt for AI coding agents ```text Check this codebase for CVE-2018-7738 and fix it if it is affected. What it is: CVE-2018-7738 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in n/a, published on 6 Mar 2018. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim. Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-7738 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-2018-7738/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-7738/index.md) ``` ## Sources - CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2018-7738 - NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-7738 - OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2018-7738 --- From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-7738/ Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.