Is CVE-2018-8897 being actively exploited?

CVE-2018-8897 is not currently listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.

What is the CVSS score for CVE-2018-8897?

CVE-2018-8897 has a CVSS 3.0 base score of 7.8 (HIGH).

CVE-2018-8897

HIGH · CVSS 7.8EPSS 18.5%EU EUVD

A statement in the System Programming Guide of the Intel 64 and IA-32 Architectures Software Developer's Manual (SDM) was mishandled in the development of some or all operating-system kernels, resulting in unexpected behavior for #DB exceptions that are deferred by MOV SS or POP SS, as demonstrated by (for example) privilege escalation in Windows, macOS, some Xen configurations, or FreeBSD, or a Linux kernel crash. The MOV to SS and POP SS instructions inhibit interrupts (including NMIs), data breakpoints, and single step trap exceptions until the instruction boundary following the next instruction (SDM Vol. 3A; section 6.8.3). (The inhibited data breakpoints are those on memory accessed by the MOV to SS or POP to SS instruction itself.) Note that debug exceptions are not inhibited by the interrupt enable (EFLAGS.IF) system flag (SDM Vol. 3A; section 2.3). If the instruction following the MOV to SS or POP to SS instruction is an instruction like SYSCALL, SYSENTER, INT 3, etc. that transfers control to the operating system at CPL < 3, the debug exception is delivered after the transfer to CPL < 3 is complete. OS kernels may not expect this order of events and may therefore experience unexpected behavior when it occurs.

Key facts

CVSS score: 7.8 (v3.0)
Severity: HIGH
CVSS vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Weakness (CWE): CWE-362
EPSS score: 18.5% (97th percentile)
In CISA KEV: No
In EU EUVD: Yes (EUVD-2018-20505)
Published: May 8, 2018
NVD last modified: June 17, 2026
Status: Modified

EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD)

This vulnerability is also tracked by ENISA as EUVD-2018-20505 in the EU Vulnerability Database. Last updated in EUVD on August 5, 2024.

View on the EU Vulnerability Database

Affected products

apple / mac os x
canonical / ubuntu linux
canonical / ubuntu linux
canonical / ubuntu linux
citrix / xenserver
citrix / xenserver
citrix / xenserver
citrix / xenserver
citrix / xenserver
citrix / xenserver
citrix / xenserver
citrix / xenserver
debian / debian linux
debian / debian linux
debian / debian linux
freebsd / freebsd
redhat / enterprise linux server
redhat / enterprise linux workstation
redhat / enterprise virtualization manager
synology / diskstation manager
synology / diskstation manager
synology / diskstation manager
synology / skynas
xen / xen

Certified products that may be affected

3 FIPS 140 or Common Criteria certified products, from automated matching by sec-certs.org.

Citrix XenServer ® 7.1 LTSR Enterprise Edition (CU2) - Citrix Systems, Inc. - Common Criteria 383-4-467 - archived
Apple Mac OS X 10.6 - Apple Inc. - Common Criteria BSI-DSZ-CC-0536-2010 - archived
Apple Mac OS X v10.3.6 and Apple Mac OS X Server V10.3.6 - Apple Inc. - Common Criteria CCEVS-VR-0086-2005 - archived

References

http://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=d8ba61ba58c88d5207c1ba2f7d9a2280e7d03be9(Patch, Third Party Advisory)
http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2018/05/08/1(Mailing List, Third Party Advisory)
http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2018/05/08/4(Mailing List, Third Party Advisory)
http://www.huawei.com/en/psirt/security-advisories/huawei-sa-20190921-01-debug-en
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/104071(Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry)
http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1040744(Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry)
http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1040849(Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry)
http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1040861(Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry)
http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1040866(Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry)
http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1040882(Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry)
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:1318(Third Party Advisory)
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:1319(Third Party Advisory)
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:1345(Third Party Advisory)
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:1346(Third Party Advisory)
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:1347(Third Party Advisory)
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:1348(Third Party Advisory)
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:1349(Third Party Advisory)
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:1350(Third Party Advisory)
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:1351(Third Party Advisory)
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:1352(Third Party Advisory)
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:1353(Third Party Advisory)
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:1354(Third Party Advisory)
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:1355(Third Party Advisory)
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:1524(Third Party Advisory)
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1567074(Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory)
https://github.com/can1357/CVE-2018-8897/(Exploit, Third Party Advisory)
https://github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/d8ba61ba58c88d5207c1ba2f7d9a2280e7d03be9(Patch, Third Party Advisory)
https://help.ecostruxureit.com/display/public/UADCE725/Security+fixes+in+StruxureWare+Data+Center+Expert+v7.6.0
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2018/05/msg00015.html(Third Party Advisory)
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2018/06/msg00000.html(Third Party Advisory)
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2018/11/msg00013.html
https://patchwork.kernel.org/patch/10386677/(Patch, Third Party Advisory)
https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2018-8897(Patch, Third Party Advisory, Vendor Advisory)
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20180927-0002/
https://support.apple.com/HT208742(Third Party Advisory)
https://support.citrix.com/article/CTX234679(Third Party Advisory)
https://svnweb.freebsd.org/base?view=revision&revision=333368(Third Party Advisory)
https://usn.ubuntu.com/3641-1/(Third Party Advisory)
https://usn.ubuntu.com/3641-2/(Third Party Advisory)
https://www.debian.org/security/2018/dsa-4196(Third Party Advisory)

Last updated September 17, 2026 · Source: NVD, CISA KEV, FIRST.org EPSS

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