CVE-2018-12896
An issue was discovered in the Linux kernel through 4.17.3. An Integer Overflow in kernel/time/posix-timers.c in the POSIX timer code is caused by the way the overrun accounting works. Depending on interval and expiry time values, the overrun can be larger than INT_MAX, but the accounting is int based. This basically makes the accounting values, which are visible to user space via timer_getoverrun(2) and siginfo::si_overrun, random. For example, a local user can cause a denial of service (signed integer overflow) via crafted mmap, futex, timer_create, and timer_settime system calls.
CVSS
- Version: 3.0
- Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
- Base score: 5.5
Exploitation probability (EPSS)
- Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 0.64%
- Percentile among all scored CVEs: 49
- Score date: 10/10/2026
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System, FIRST) estimates how likely a vulnerability is to be exploited in the wild within 30 days. It complements CVSS (impact) and CISA KEV (confirmed exploitation).
Affected technologies (3)
CWEs
- CWE-190
References
- https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=200189
- https://github.com/lcytxw/bug_repro/tree/master/bug_200189
- https://github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/78c9c4dfbf8c04883941445a195276bb4bb92c76
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2019/03/msg00017.html
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2019/03/msg00034.html
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2019/04/msg00004.html
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/3847-1/
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/3847-2/
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/3847-3/
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/3848-1/
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/3848-2/
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/3849-1/
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/3849-2/
- https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=200189
- https://github.com/lcytxw/bug_repro/tree/master/bug_200189
- https://github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/78c9c4dfbf8c04883941445a195276bb4bb92c76
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2019/03/msg00017.html
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2019/03/msg00034.html
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2019/04/msg00004.html
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/3847-1/
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/3847-2/
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/3847-3/
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/3848-1/
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/3848-2/
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/3849-1/
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/3849-2/
Raw JSON (NVD)
Show
{
"id": "CVE-2018-12896",
"cveTags": [],
"metrics": {
"cvssMetricV2": [
{
"type": "Primary",
"source": "nvd@nist.gov",
"cvssData": {
"version": "2.0",
"baseScore": 2.1,
"accessVector": "LOCAL",
"vectorString": "AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P",
"authentication": "NONE",
"integrityImpact": "NONE",
"accessComplexity": "LOW",
"availabilityImpact": "PARTIAL",
"confidentialityImpact": "NONE"
},
"acInsufInfo": false,
"impactScore": 2.9,
"baseSeverity": "LOW",
"obtainAllPrivilege": false,
"exploitabilityScore": 3.9,
"obtainUserPrivilege": false,
"obtainOtherPrivilege": false,
"userInteractionRequired": false
}
],
"cvssMetricV30": [
{
"type": "Primary",
"source": "nvd@nist.gov",
"cvssData": {
"scope": "UNCHANGED",
"version": "3.0",
"baseScore": 5.5,
"attackVector": "LOCAL",
"baseSeverity": "MEDIUM",
"vectorString": "CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H",
"integrityImpact": "NONE",
"userInteraction": "NONE",
"attackComplexity": "LOW",
"availabilityImpact": "HIGH",
"privilegesRequired": "LOW",
"confidentialityImpact": "NONE"
},
"impactScore": 3.6,
"exploitabilityScore": 1.8
}
]
},
"affected": [
{
"source": "cve@mitre.org",
"affectedData": [
{
"vendor": "n/a",
"product": "n/a",
"versions": [
{
"status": "affected",
"version": "n/a"
}
]
}
]
}
],
"published": "2018-07-02T17:29:00.660",
"references": [
{
"url": "https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=200189",
"tags": [
"Issue Tracking",
"Vendor Advisory"
],
"source": "cve@mitre.org"
},
{
"url": "https://github.com/lcytxw/bug_repro/tree/master/bug_200189",
"tags": [
"Exploit",
"Third Party Advisory"
],
"source": "cve@mitre.org"
},
{
"url": "https://github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/78c9c4dfbf8c04883941445a195276bb4bb92c76",
"tags": [
"Patch",
"Third Party Advisory"
],
"source": "cve@mitre.org"
},
{
"url": "https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2019/03/msg00017.html",
"tags": [
"Mailing List",
"Third Party Advisory"
],
"source": "cve@mitre.org"
},
{
"url": "https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2019/03/msg00034.html",
"tags": [
"Mailing List",
"Third Party Advisory"
],
"source": "cve@mitre.org"
},
{
"url": "https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2019/04/msg00004.html",
"tags": [
"Mailing List",
"Third Party Advisory"
],
"source": "cve@mitre.org"
},
{
"url": "https://usn.ubuntu.com/3847-1/",
"tags": [
"Third Party Advisory"
],
"source": "cve@mitre.org"
},
{
"url": "https://usn.ubuntu.com/3847-2/",
"tags": [
"Third Party Advisory"
],
"source": "cve@mitre.org"
},
{
"url": "https://usn.ubuntu.com/3847-3/",
"tags": [
"Third Party Advisory"
],
"source": "cve@mitre.org"
},
{
"url": "https://usn.ubuntu.com/3848-1/",
"tags": [
"Third Party Advisory"
],
"source": "cve@mitre.org"
},
{
"url": "https://usn.ubuntu.com/3848-2/",
"tags": [
"Third Party Advisory"
],
"source": "cve@mitre.org"
},
{
"url": "https://usn.ubuntu.com/3849-1/",
"tags": [
"Third Party Advisory"
],
"source": "cve@mitre.org"
},
{
"url": "https://usn.ubuntu.com/3849-2/",
"tags": [
"Third Party Advisory"
],
"source": "cve@mitre.org"
},
{
"url": "https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=200189",
"tags": [
"Issue Tracking",
"Vendor Advisory"
],
"source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
},
{
"url": "https://github.com/lcytxw/bug_repro/tree/master/bug_200189",
"tags": [
"Exploit",
"Third Party Advisory"
],
"source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
},
{
"url": "https://github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/78c9c4dfbf8c04883941445a195276bb4bb92c76",
"tags": [
"Patch",
"Third Party Advisory"
],
"source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
},
{
"url": "https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2019/03/msg00017.html",
"tags": [
"Mailing List",
"Third Party Advisory"
],
"source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
},
{
"url": "https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2019/03/msg00034.html",
"tags": [
"Mailing List",
"Third Party Advisory"
],
"source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
},
{
"url": "https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2019/04/msg00004.html",
"tags": [
"Mailing List",
"Third Party Advisory"
],
"source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
},
{
"url": "https://usn.ubuntu.com/3847-1/",
"tags": [
"Third Party Advisory"
],
"source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
},
{
"url": "https://usn.ubuntu.com/3847-2/",
"tags": [
"Third Party Advisory"
],
"source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
},
{
"url": "https://usn.ubuntu.com/3847-3/",
"tags": [
"Third Party Advisory"
],
"source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
},
{
"url": "https://usn.ubuntu.com/3848-1/",
"tags": [
"Third Party Advisory"
],
"source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
},
{
"url": "https://usn.ubuntu.com/3848-2/",
"tags": [
"Third Party Advisory"
],
"source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
},
{
"url": "https://usn.ubuntu.com/3849-1/",
"tags": [
"Third Party Advisory"
],
"source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
},
{
"url": "https://usn.ubuntu.com/3849-2/",
"tags": [
"Third Party Advisory"
],
"source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
}
],
"vulnStatus": "Modified",
"weaknesses": [
{
"type": "Primary",
"source": "nvd@nist.gov",
"description": [
{
"lang": "en",
"value": "CWE-190"
}
]
}
],
"descriptions": [
{
"lang": "en",
"value": "An issue was discovered in the Linux kernel through 4.17.3. An Integer Overflow in kernel/time/posix-timers.c in the POSIX timer code is caused by the way the overrun accounting works. Depending on interval and expiry time values, the overrun can be larger than INT_MAX, but the accounting is int based. This basically makes the accounting values, which are visible to user space via timer_getoverrun(2) and siginfo::si_overrun, random. For example, a local user can cause a denial of service (signed integer overflow) via crafted mmap, futex, timer_create, and timer_settime system calls."
},
{
"lang": "es",
"value": "Se ha descubierto un problema en el kernel de Linux hasta la versión 4.17.3. Un desbordamiento de enteros en kernel/time/posix-timers.c en el código temporizador POSIX es causado por la forma en que funciona la contabilidad de desbordamiento. Dependiendo de los valores del intervalo y del tiempo de expiración, el desbordamiento puede ser mayor que INT_MAX, pero la contabilidad está basada en int. Esto básicamente hace que los valores contables, que son visibles para el espacio de usuario a través de timer_getoverrun(2) y siginfo::si_overrun, sean aleatorios. Por ejemplo, un usuario local puede causar una denegación de servicio (desbordamiento de enteros firmados) a través de llamadas al sistema mmap, futex, timer_create y timer_settime manipuladas."
}
],
"lastModified": "2026-06-17T01:38:32.173",
"configurations": [
{
"nodes": [
{
"negate": false,
"cpeMatch": [
{
"criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
"vulnerable": true,
"matchCriteriaId": "C6ECF5D0-AFCC-470A-9D01-4A372C09556D",
"versionEndIncluding": "4.17.3"
}
],
"operator": "OR"
}
]
},
{
"nodes": [
{
"negate": false,
"cpeMatch": [
{
"criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
"vulnerable": true,
"matchCriteriaId": "C11E6FB0-C8C0-4527-9AA0-CB9B316F8F43"
}
],
"operator": "OR"
}
]
},
{
"nodes": [
{
"negate": false,
"cpeMatch": [
{
"criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:12.04:*:*:*:esm:*:*:*",
"vulnerable": true,
"matchCriteriaId": "8D305F7A-D159-4716-AB26-5E38BB5CD991"
},
{
"criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:14.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*",
"vulnerable": true,
"matchCriteriaId": "B5A6F2F3-4894-4392-8296-3B8DD2679084"
},
{
"criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:16.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*",
"vulnerable": true,
"matchCriteriaId": "F7016A2A-8365-4F1A-89A2-7A19F2BCAE5B"
},
{
"criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:18.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*",
"vulnerable": true,
"matchCriteriaId": "23A7C53F-B80F-4E6A-AFA9-58EEA84BE11D"
}
],
"operator": "OR"
}
]
}
],
"sourceIdentifier": "cve@mitre.org"
}