Information disclosure in [UNKNOWN] kernel:
Priority LOW 25CWE-200Published · Updated
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Information disclosure
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · None · None
- 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-200.
Summary
A security flaw was found in the Linux kernel in a way that the cleancache subsystem clears an inode after the final file truncation (removal). The new file created with the same inode may contain leftover pages from cleancache and the old file data instead of the new one.
Why it matters now
EPSS 0.0053 45th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Will not fix Red Hat: no fix planned
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [UNKNOWN] | kernel: | all versions | — | No fix listed | CNA |
- kernel: Vendor[UNKNOWN] Affected all versions Fixed in — No fix listed CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 5
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | up to 4.14 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 7.0 | Vulnerable | Red Hat |
| 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:debian:debian_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 8.0 | Vulnerable | Debian |
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions up to 4.14 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.0 Vulnerable ·Red Hat
- 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:debian:debian_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 8.0 Vulnerable ·Debian
Remediation
No fixed version listed by the sources yet.
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | Affected | No fix planned: Will not fix |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | Affected | No fix planned: Will not fix |
Not affected: 4 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
- Red Hat Enterprise MRG 2
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2018-16862
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-8mfm-2wff-rgp2
References
Advisory 8
- USN-3879-2
- [oss-security] 20181123 CVE-2018-16862: Linux kernel: cleancache: deleted files infoleak
- USN-3879-1
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=CVE-2018-16862
- [debian-lts-announce] 20190315 [SECURITY] [DLA 1715-1] linux-4.9 security update
- [debian-lts-announce] 20190327 [SECURITY] [DLA 1731-1] linux security update
- USN-4094-1
- USN-4118-1
Sources
- CVE-2018-16862 · CVE Program
- CVE-2018-16862 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-8mfm-2wff-rgp2 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2018-16862 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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