HIGH CVSS 7.8
Published: 2018-02-02

CVE-2018-6318

sophos sophos_tester Security Advisory (CVE-2018-6318)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2018-6318 impacting sophos sophos_tester. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 7.8 (HIGH).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
In Sophos Tester Tool 3.2.0.7 Beta, the driver loads (in the context of the application used to test an exploit or ransomware) the DLL using a payload that runs from NTDLL.DLL (so, it's run in userland), but the driver doesn't perform any validation of this DLL (not its signature, not its hash, etc.). A person can change this DLL in a local way, or with a remote connection, to a malicious DLL with the same name -- and when the product is used, this malicious DLL will be loaded, aka a DLL Hijacking attack.

📊 CVSS v3.1 Metric Breakdown

Attack Vector
Local (AV:L)
Requires local system execution permissions
Attack Complexity
Low (AC:L)
No specialized conditions required
Privileges Required
None (PR:N)
Unauthenticated execution
User Interaction
Required (UI:R)
User must click or open resource
Scope
Unchanged (S:U)
Confined to same security context
Confidentiality
High (C:H)
Total information disclosure
Integrity
High (I:H)
Total modification of target system
Availability
High (A:H)
Total denial of service or shutdown

🎯 Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product sophos / sophos_tester
Affected Versions 3.2.0.7
Weakness Enumeration CWE-426

Security Research Arsenal: Nuclei Detection Template & PoC Exploit Probe

High-Intent Research Tool

Ready-to-use security scanner signatures, active verification probe skeletons, and remediation playbooks for CVE-2018-6318 impacting sophos sophos_tester.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2018-6318.yaml
id: cve-2018-6318

info:
  name: sophos sophos_tester - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: high
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2018-6318 affecting sophos sophos_tester.
    Evaluation: In Sophos Tester Tool 3.2.0.7 Beta, the driver loads (in the context of the application used to test an exploit or ransomware) the DLL using a payload...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2018-6318
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
    cvss-score: 7.8
    cve-id: CVE-2018-6318
    cwe-id: CWE-426
  tags: cve,cve-2018-6318,sophos,sophos_tester,high

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "sophos_tester"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2018-6318.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2018-6318
# Target: sophos sophos_tester | CVSS: 7.8 (HIGH)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2018-6318 (sophos sophos_tester)...")
    headers = {
        "User-Agent": "CyberVault-Audit-Scanner/2.0",
        "Accept": "*/*"
    }
    try:
        r = requests.get(f"{target_url.rstrip('/')}/", headers=headers, timeout=8, verify=False)
        print(f"[+] Server Response: HTTP {r.status_code} | Server Banner: {r.headers.get('Server', 'Unknown')}")
        if r.status_code < 500:
            print(f"[!] Target reachable. Verify version against sophos sophos_tester scope (3.2.0.7).")
        return True
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"[-] Connection Error: {e}")
        return False

if __name__ == '__main__':
    url = sys.argv[1] if len(sys.argv) > 1 else "http://localhost:8080"
    verify_vulnerability(url)
🛡️ Quick Patch & Remediation Script (Bash) patch_cve-2018-6318.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2018-6318
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install sophos_tester 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade sophos_tester 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update sophos_tester

# 2. Inspect installed package versions for vulnerable scope:
dpkg -l | grep -i sophos_tester 2>/dev/null || rpm -qa | grep -i sophos_tester

# 3. Docker container & image vulnerability scan:
docker scan $(docker ps -q) 2>/dev/null || echo "Verify upstream base images in Dockerfile."

🛡️ Remediation & Security Action

  • Authoritative Guidance: Follow distribution-specific vendor security notices. Advisory status and package patches vary by distribution release.
  • Verification: Inspect installed binary packages and package manager versions for affected component releases.
  • Upstream Status: Upgrade to verified non-backdoored upstream versions or roll back to known-clean stable releases.
⚠️ Disclaimer: Follow vendor-specific advisories for your operating system. CyberVault does not fabricate unsupported remediation scripts.

🔗 Verified Technical References

Authorities
  • No records filed in this category.
Distributions
  • No records filed in this category.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Remediation Guide

How do I fix CVE-2018-6318 in sophos sophos_tester?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update sophos sophos_tester packages to the latest patched release immediately. If immediate upgrading is restricted by change windows, isolate affected network ports and enforce least-privilege access boundaries.

Is there an active exploit or public PoC for CVE-2018-6318?

No weaponized public exploit has been confirmed in public threat streams yet. Continuous surveillance is active across GitHub and security feeds.

What is the CVSS 3.1 severity rating and impact for CVE-2018-6318?

CVE-2018-6318 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 7.8 (HIGH). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
7.8
HIGH SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2018-6318
Weakness CWE-426
Vendor sophos
Product sophos_tester
Published 2018-02-02
Vector CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H