{"id":"UBUNTU-CVE-2018-16888","details":"It was discovered systemd does not correctly check the content of PIDFile files before using it to kill processes. When a service is run from an unprivileged user (e.g. User field set in the service file), a local attacker who is able to write to the PIDFile of the mentioned service may use this flaw to trick systemd into killing other services and/or privileged processes. Versions before v237 are vulnerable.","modified":"2026-01-30T00:42:19.166185Z","published":"2019-01-14T22:29:00Z","related":["USN-4269-1"],"upstream":["CVE-2018-16888"],"references":[{"type":"REPORT","url":"https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2018-16888"},{"type":"ADVISORY","url":"https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-4269-1"},{"type":"REPORT","url":"https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2018-16888"}],"affected":[{"package":{"name":"systemd","ecosystem":"Ubuntu:16.04:LTS","purl":"pkg:deb/ubuntu/systemd@229-4ubuntu21.27?arch=source&distro=xenial"},"ranges":[{"type":"ECOSYSTEM","events":[{"introduced":"0"},{"fixed":"229-4ubuntu21.27"}]}],"versions":["225-1ubuntu9","227-2ubuntu1","227-2ubuntu2","228-1ubuntu2","228-2ubuntu1","228-2ubuntu2","228-3ubuntu1","228-4ubuntu1","228-4ubuntu2","228-5ubuntu1","228-5ubuntu2","228-5ubuntu3","228-6ubuntu1","229-1ubuntu2","229-1ubuntu4","229-2ubuntu1","229-3ubuntu1","229-3ubuntu2","229-4ubuntu1","229-4ubuntu4","229-4ubuntu5","229-4ubuntu6","229-4ubuntu7","229-4ubuntu8","229-4ubuntu10","229-4ubuntu11","229-4ubuntu12","229-4ubuntu13","229-4ubuntu16","229-4ubuntu17","229-4ubuntu19","229-4ubuntu20","229-4ubuntu21","229-4ubuntu21.1","229-4ubuntu21.2","229-4ubuntu21.3","229-4ubuntu21.4","229-4ubuntu21.5","229-4ubuntu21.6","229-4ubuntu21.8","229-4ubuntu21.9","229-4ubuntu21.10","229-4ubuntu21.15","229-4ubuntu21.16","229-4ubuntu21.17","229-4ubuntu21.19","229-4ubuntu21.21","229-4ubuntu21.22","229-4ubuntu21.23"],"ecosystem_specific":{"binaries":[{"binary_name":"libnss-myhostname","binary_version":"229-4ubuntu21.27"},{"binary_name":"libnss-mymachines","binary_version":"229-4ubuntu21.27"},{"binary_name":"libnss-resolve","binary_version":"229-4ubuntu21.27"},{"binary_name":"libpam-systemd","binary_version":"229-4ubuntu21.27"},{"binary_name":"libsystemd-dev","binary_version":"229-4ubuntu21.27"},{"binary_name":"libsystemd0","binary_version":"229-4ubuntu21.27"},{"binary_name":"libudev-dev","binary_version":"229-4ubuntu21.27"},{"binary_name":"libudev1","binary_version":"229-4ubuntu21.27"},{"binary_name":"systemd","binary_version":"229-4ubuntu21.27"},{"binary_name":"systemd-container","binary_version":"229-4ubuntu21.27"},{"binary_name":"systemd-coredump","binary_version":"229-4ubuntu21.27"},{"binary_name":"systemd-journal-remote","binary_version":"229-4ubuntu21.27"},{"binary_name":"systemd-sysv","binary_version":"229-4ubuntu21.27"},{"binary_name":"udev","binary_version":"229-4ubuntu21.27"}],"availability":"No subscription required"},"database_specific":{"source":"https://github.com/canonical/ubuntu-security-notices/blob/main/osv/cve/2018/UBUNTU-CVE-2018-16888.json"}}],"schema_version":"1.7.3","severity":[{"type":"CVSS_V3","score":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H"},{"type":"CVSS_V3","score":"CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H"},{"type":"CVSS_V3","score":"CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H"},{"type":"Ubuntu","score":"low"}]}