CVE-2018-7311
PrivateVPN 2.0.31 for macOS suffers from a root privilege escalation vulnerability.
Does this matter?
High impact if exploited, but EPSS currently rates exploitation as unlikely (2.20%). Schedule it in the normal patch cycle and watch for a rise in EPSS or a public exploit.
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.
- CVSS 3.1
- 8.8 HIGHCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- EPSS
- 2.20% probability · 82th percentile
- Public exploits
- None in Exploit-DB
- CISA KEV
- Not listed
- Weakness
- CWE-732
- Affected
- privatevpn/privatevpn
- Source
- cve@mitre.org
EPSS 2.2% since 27 October 2026; no change recorded yet. Points are recorded when the score first appears and whenever it moves by a percentage point or more.
References
- https://gist.github.com/anonymous/cfc3f3419804b22ee9e82ee8d16a661dThird Party Advisory
- https://github.com/VerSprite/research/blob/eba22c8b506be6f7128ef5356281915d5667bfff/advisories/VS-2018-004.mdThird Party Advisory
- https://github.com/VerSprite/research/blob/master/advisories/VS-2018-004.mdThird Party Advisory
- https://gist.github.com/anonymous/cfc3f3419804b22ee9e82ee8d16a661dThird Party Advisory
- https://github.com/VerSprite/research/blob/eba22c8b506be6f7128ef5356281915d5667bfff/advisories/VS-2018-004.mdThird Party Advisory
- https://github.com/VerSprite/research/blob/master/advisories/VS-2018-004.mdThird Party Advisory
Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA, exploits from Exploit-DB. Refreshed daily. Download this record as JSON.