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Unrated severityNVD Advisory· Published Oct 3, 2019· Updated Dec 3, 2025

CVE-2018-14879

CVE-2018-14879

Description

Buffer overflow in tcpdump's command-line argument parser (get_next_file()) before 4.9.3 allows remote attackers to cause a crash or execute arbitrary code.

AI Insight

LLM-synthesized narrative grounded in this CVE's description and references.

Buffer overflow in tcpdump's command-line argument parser (get_next_file()) before 4.9.3 allows remote attackers to cause a crash or execute arbitrary code.

Vulnerability

A buffer overflow exists in the command-line argument parser of tcpdump, specifically in the get_next_file() function in tcpdump.c. This affects tcpdump versions before 4.9.3 [2]. The vulnerability is triggered when processing a specially crafted filename or argument.

Exploitation

An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by supplying a crafted input that causes a buffer overflow in the argument parser. This could be achieved remotely if tcpdump is used to process network data (e.g., reading pcap files from a network source), or locally through command-line invocation [2]. The exact attack vector is not fully detailed, but the overflow leads to memory corruption.

Impact

Successful exploitation could result in a denial of service (tcpdump crash) or potentially arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the tcpdump process, which often runs as root [2].

Mitigation

Upgrade to tcpdump version 4.9.3 or later [2]. For Ubuntu systems, updated packages are available (e.g., version 4.9.3-0ubuntu0.18.04.1). There is no known workaround; applying the patch is strongly recommended. This CVE is not listed in the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.

References
  1. USN-4252-1: tcpdump vulnerabilities | Ubuntu security notices | Ubuntu

AI Insight generated on May 25, 2026. Synthesized from this CVE's description and the cited reference URLs; citations are validated against the source bundle.

Affected products

9

Patches

2
d9a693b04326

VERSION set for release

https://github.com/the-tcpdump-group/tcpdumpMichael RichardsonSep 30, 2019via osv
commit
1 file changed · +1 −1
  • VERSION+1 −1 modified
    @@ -1 +1 @@
-4.9.3rc2
+4.9.3
9ba91381954a

(for 4.9.3) CVE-2018-14879/fix -V to fail invalid input safely

https://github.com/the-tcpdump-group/tcpdumpDenis OvsienkoJun 17, 2018via osv
commit
1 file changed · +4 −2
  • tcpdump.c+4 −2 modified
    @@ -699,13 +699,15 @@ static char *
 get_next_file(FILE *VFile, char *ptr)
 {
 	char *ret;
+	size_t len;
 
 	ret = fgets(ptr, PATH_MAX, VFile);
 	if (!ret)
 		return NULL;
 
-	if (ptr[strlen(ptr) - 1] == '\n')
-		ptr[strlen(ptr) - 1] = '\0';
+	len = strlen (ptr);
+	if (len > 0 && ptr[len - 1] == '\n')
+		ptr[len - 1] = '\0';
 
 	return ret;
 }

Vulnerability mechanics

Generated on May 9, 2026. Inputs: CWE entries + fix-commit diffs from this CVE's patches. Citations validated against bundle.

References

17

News mentions

0

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