RCE in Gnu Patch

CVE-2018-20969

do_ed_script in pch.c in GNU patch through 2.7.6 does not block strings beginning with a ! character. NOTE: this is the same commit as for CVE-2019-13638, but the ! syntax is specific to ed, and is unrelated to a shell metacharacter.

Vulnerability class: Command Injection (OS Command Injection)

EPSS: 0.027 (84.2th percentile) — read the EPSS interpretation.

CVSS v3 metric

CVSS v3 base score 7.8 (High). Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.

Affected products

Weakness classification (CWE)

Public proof-of-concept exploits

References

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-20969?
CVE-2018-20969 is a high-severity vulnerability in Gnu Patch, classified under OS Command Injection. CVSS score: 7.8/10. Published 2019-08-16.
How severe is CVE-2018-20969?
High severity. CVSS v3 base score is 7.8 out of 10.
Is CVE-2018-20969 known to be exploited?
3 public proof-of-concept repositories are indexed. Not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.