{"id":"CVE-2018-15686","url":"https://www.cyber-defence.io/tools/cve/CVE-2018-15686","generatedAt":"2026-10-28T22:11:10.265Z","title":"A vulnerability in unit_deserialize of systemd allows an attacker to supply arbitrary state across systemd re-execution via NotifyAccess.","description":"A vulnerability in unit_deserialize of systemd allows an attacker to supply arbitrary state across systemd re-execution via NotifyAccess. This can be used to improperly influence systemd execution and possibly lead to root privilege escalation. Affected releases are systemd versions up to and including 239.","published":"2018-10-26T14:29:01.000Z","lastModified":"2026-06-17T01:42:56.000Z","status":"Modified","sourceIdentifier":"security@ubuntu.com","cvss":{"version":"3.1","score":7.8,"severity":"HIGH","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"},"cwe":["CWE-502"],"affected":["canonical/ubuntu linux","debian/debian linux","systemd project/systemd","oracle/communications cloud native core network function cloud native environment"],"epss":{"score":0.02261,"percentile":0.82889,"date":"2026-10-27","history":[]},"kev":{"listed":false},"exploits":{"count":1,"verified":true,"firstPublished":"2018-10-29","source":"Exploit-DB (https://gitlab.com/exploit-database/exploitdb)","entries":[{"edbId":45714,"kind":"exploit","title":"systemd - 'reexec' State Injection","url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/45714","sourceUrl":"https://gitlab.com/exploit-database/exploitdb/-/blob/main/exploits/linux/dos/45714.c","file":"exploits/linux/dos/45714.c","published":"2018-10-29","added":"2018-10-29","updated":"2018-11-17","author":"Google Security Research","type":"dos","platform":"linux","port":null,"verified":true,"codes":["CVE-2018-15686"],"tags":null,"aliases":null,"applicationUrl":null,"screenshotUrl":null,"referenceUrl":"https://bugs.chromium.org/p/project-zero/issues/detail?id=1687"}]},"verdict":{"level":"urgent","text":"A public exploit is published in Exploit-DB (verified) and the impact is high, while EPSS rates exploitation at 2.3%. Anyone can run this; patch or mitigate before the next change window and check exposed instances for signs of use."},"changes":[],"references":[{"url":"http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/105747","tags":["Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"],"source":"security@ubuntu.com"},{"url":"https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:2091","tags":["Third Party Advisory"],"source":"security@ubuntu.com"},{"url":"https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:3222","tags":["Third Party Advisory"],"source":"security@ubuntu.com"},{"url":"https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2020:0593","tags":["Third Party Advisory"],"source":"security@ubuntu.com"},{"url":"https://github.com/systemd/systemd/pull/10519","tags":["Patch","Third Party Advisory"],"source":"security@ubuntu.com"},{"url":"https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r1b103833cb5bc8466e24ff0ecc5e75b45a705334ab6a444e64e840a0%40%3Cissues.bookkeeper.apache.org%3E","source":"security@ubuntu.com"},{"url":"https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2018/11/msg00017.html","tags":["Mailing List","Third Party Advisory"],"source":"security@ubuntu.com"},{"url":"https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201810-10","tags":["Third Party Advisory"],"source":"security@ubuntu.com"},{"url":"https://usn.ubuntu.com/3816-1/","tags":["Third Party Advisory"],"source":"security@ubuntu.com"},{"url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/45714/","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"],"source":"security@ubuntu.com"},{"url":"https://www.oracle.com//security-alerts/cpujul2021.html","tags":["Third Party Advisory"],"source":"security@ubuntu.com"},{"url":"http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/105747","tags":["Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:2091","tags":["Third Party Advisory"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:3222","tags":["Third Party Advisory"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2020:0593","tags":["Third Party Advisory"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"https://github.com/systemd/systemd/pull/10519","tags":["Patch","Third Party Advisory"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r1b103833cb5bc8466e24ff0ecc5e75b45a705334ab6a444e64e840a0%40%3Cissues.bookkeeper.apache.org%3E","source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2018/11/msg00017.html","tags":["Mailing List","Third Party Advisory"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201810-10","tags":["Third Party Advisory"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"https://usn.ubuntu.com/3816-1/","tags":["Third Party Advisory"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/45714/","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"https://www.oracle.com//security-alerts/cpujul2021.html","tags":["Third Party Advisory"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"}],"sources":{"nvd":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-15686","epss":"https://www.first.org/epss/","kev":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog","exploitdb":"https://www.exploit-db.com/"},"licence":"CC BY 4.0 — link back to the CVE Explorer if you publish the results; upstream data remains subject to its own terms."}