libqpdf.a in QPDF through 8.0.2 mishandles certain "expected dictionary key but found…
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Denial of service
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Will not fix Red Hat: no fix planned
Attack profile from CVSS 3.0 · NVD. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-674.
Summary
libqpdf.a in QPDF through 8.0.2 mishandles certain "expected dictionary key but found non-name object" cases, allowing remote attackers to cause a denial of service (stack exhaustion), related to the QPDFObjectHandle and QPDF_Dictionary classes, because nesting in direct objects is not restricted.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | all versions | — | No fix listed | CNA |
- — Vendor— Affected all versions Fixed in — No fix listed CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 4
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:a:qpdf_project:qpdf:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | up to 8.0.2 | Vulnerable | Qpdf Project |
| cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:14.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:* | 14.04 | Vulnerable | Canonical |
| cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:16.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:* | 16.04 | Vulnerable | Canonical |
| cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:17.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 17.10 | Vulnerable | Canonical |
- cpe:2.3:a:qpdf_project:qpdf:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions up to 8.0.2 Vulnerable ·Qpdf Project
- cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:14.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:* Versions 14.04 Vulnerable ·Canonical
- cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:16.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:* Versions 16.04 Vulnerable ·Canonical
- cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:17.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 17.10 Vulnerable ·Canonical
Remediation
No fixed version listed by the sources yet.
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Low. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | Affected | No fix planned: Will not fix |
Not affected: 1 product
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2018-9918
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-mcgj-mgj8-8cr3
References
Sources
- CVE-2018-9918 · CVE Program
- CVE-2018-9918 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-mcgj-mgj8-8cr3 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2018-9918 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences