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Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2018-19211

🗓️ 04 Mar 2025 00:00:00Reported by TenableType 
nessus
 nessus
🔗 www.tenable.com👁 13 Views

Linux host is vulnerable to CVE-2018-19211; unpatched ncurses causes denial of service issues.

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Refs
Code
#%NASL_MIN_LEVEL 80900
##
# (C) Tenable, Inc.
##

include('compat.inc');

if (description)
{
  script_id(222312);
  script_version("1.3");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_modification_date", value:"2025/09/04");

  script_cve_id("CVE-2018-19211");

  script_name(english:"Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2018-19211");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"synopsis", value:
"The Linux/Unix host has one or more packages installed with a vulnerability that the vendor indicates will not be
patched.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"description", value:
"The Linux/Unix host has one or more packages installed that are impacted by a vulnerability without a vendor supplied
patch available.

  - In ncurses 6.1, there is a NULL pointer dereference at function _nc_parse_entry in parse_entry.c that will
    lead to a denial of service attack. The product proceeds to the dereference code path even after a
    dubious character `*' in name or alias field detection. (CVE-2018-19211)

Note that Nessus relies on the presence of the package as reported by the vendor.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"see_also", value:"https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/cve-2018-19211");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"solution", value:
"There is no known solution at this time.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"agent", value:"unix");
  script_set_cvss_base_vector("CVSS2#AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P");
  script_set_cvss_temporal_vector("CVSS2#E:POC/RL:OF/RC:C");
  script_set_cvss3_base_vector("CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H");
  script_set_cvss3_temporal_vector("CVSS:3.0/E:P/RL:O/RC:C");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cvss_score_source", value:"CVE-2018-19211");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploitability_ease", value:"Exploits are available");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploit_available", value:"true");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"vendor_unpatched", value:"true");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"vuln_publication_date", value:"2018/11/12");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_publication_date", value:"2025/03/04");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_type", value:"local");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:centos:centos:7");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:centos:centos:8");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:5");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:6");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:7");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:8");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:centos:centos:ncurses");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:centos:centos:ncurses-base");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:centos:centos:ncurses-c++-libs");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:centos:centos:ncurses-compat-libs");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:centos:centos:ncurses-devel");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:centos:centos:ncurses-libs");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:centos:centos:ncurses-static");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:centos:centos:ncurses-term");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:ncurses");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:ncurses-base");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:ncurses-c++-libs");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:ncurses-compat-libs");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:ncurses-devel");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:ncurses-libs");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:ncurses-static");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:ncurses-term");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"generated_plugin", value:"current");
  script_end_attributes();

  script_category(ACT_GATHER_INFO);
  script_family(english:"Misc.");

  script_copyright(english:"This script is Copyright (C) 2025 and is owned by Tenable, Inc. or an Affiliate thereof.");

  script_dependencies("set_linux_os_id.nasl", "ssh_get_info2.nasl");
  script_require_keys("Host/OS/identifier", "Host/cpu", "Host/local_checks_enabled", "global_settings/vendor_unpatched");
  script_require_ports("Host/OS/CentOS Linux-7", "Host/OS/CentOS Linux-8", "Host/OS/Red Hat Enterprise Linux-5", "Host/OS/Red Hat Enterprise Linux-6", "Host/OS/Red Hat Enterprise Linux-7", "Host/OS/Red Hat Enterprise Linux-8");

  exit(0);
}

if (!get_kb_item("global_settings/vendor_unpatched")) exit(0, "Unpatched Vulnerabilities Detection not active.");
if (!get_kb_item("Host/local_checks_enabled")) audit(AUDIT_LOCAL_CHECKS_NOT_ENABLED);
if (empty_or_null(get_one_kb_item("Host/CentOS/rpm-list")) && empty_or_null(get_one_kb_item("Host/RedHat/rpm-list"))) audit(AUDIT_PACKAGE_LIST_MISSING);

include('linux_unpatched.inc');

var distro_constraints_array = {
  "Red Hat Enterprise Linux-5": {
    "package_manager": "rpm-list",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "5",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "ncurses"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "CentOS Linux-7": {
    "package_manager": "rpm-list",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "7",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "ncurses"},
          {"reference": "ncurses-base"},
          {"reference": "ncurses-devel"},
          {"reference": "ncurses-libs"},
          {"reference": "ncurses-static"},
          {"reference": "ncurses-term"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "Red Hat Enterprise Linux-6": {
    "package_manager": "rpm-list",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "6",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "ncurses"},
          {"reference": "ncurses-base"},
          {"reference": "ncurses-devel"},
          {"reference": "ncurses-libs"},
          {"reference": "ncurses-static"},
          {"reference": "ncurses-term"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "Red Hat Enterprise Linux-7": {
    "package_manager": "rpm-list",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "7",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "ncurses"},
          {"reference": "ncurses-base"},
          {"reference": "ncurses-devel"},
          {"reference": "ncurses-libs"},
          {"reference": "ncurses-static"},
          {"reference": "ncurses-term"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "CentOS Linux-8": {
    "package_manager": "rpm-list",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "8",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "ncurses"},
          {"reference": "ncurses-base"},
          {"reference": "ncurses-c++-libs"},
          {"reference": "ncurses-compat-libs"},
          {"reference": "ncurses-devel"},
          {"reference": "ncurses-libs"},
          {"reference": "ncurses-term"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "Red Hat Enterprise Linux-8": {
    "package_manager": "rpm-list",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "8",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "ncurses"},
          {"reference": "ncurses-base"},
          {"reference": "ncurses-c++-libs"},
          {"reference": "ncurses-compat-libs"},
          {"reference": "ncurses-devel"},
          {"reference": "ncurses-libs"},
          {"reference": "ncurses-term"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
};

var distro_constraints_values = linux_unpatched::get_distro_constraints(distro_constraints_arr:distro_constraints_array);
if (empty_or_null(distro_constraints_values)) audit(AUDIT_HOST_NOT, 'affected');
var report = linux_unpatched::check_unpatched_constraints(distro_constraints_values:distro_constraints_values);

if (!empty_or_null(report))
{
  security_report_v4(
      port       : 0,
      severity   : SECURITY_WARNING,
      extra      : report
  );
  exit(0);
}
else
{
  audit(AUDIT_HOST_NOT, 'affected');
}

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04 Sep 2025 00:00Current
6Medium risk
Vulners AI Score6
CVSS 24.3
CVSS 35.5
EPSS0.00856
13