CVE-2018-20211
7.8 · HIGHOverview
CVE-2018-20211 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting exiftool_project exiftool. It was published on January 2, 2019 and has a CVSS 3.0 base score of 7.8 (HIGH).
This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.0 base score of 7.8, rated HIGH. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. No authentication or special privileges are required for exploitation.
Technical Description
ExifTool 8.32 allows local users to gain privileges by creating a %TEMP%\par-%username%\cache-exiftool-8.32 folder with a victim's username, and then copying a Trojan horse ws32_32.dll file into this new folder, aka DLL Hijacking. NOTE: 8.32 is an obsolete version from 2010 (9.x was released starting in 2012, and 10.x was released starting in 2015).
Remediation
Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from exiftool_project. Update exiftool to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.
Affected Products
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2018-20211?
CVE-2018-20211 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting exiftool_project exiftool. It was published on January 2, 2019 and has a CVSS 3.0 base score of 7.8 (HIGH).
How severe is CVE-2018-20211?
This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.0 base score of 7.8, rated HIGH. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. No authentication or special privileges are required for exploitation.
How do I fix or remediate CVE-2018-20211?
Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from exiftool_project. Update exiftool to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.
How can CyberStrike help with CVE-2018-20211?
CyberStrike's AI-powered security agents can automatically detect CVE-2018-20211 across your infrastructure using autonomous pentesting, DAST scanning, and HackBrowser. The platform continuously monitors for known vulnerabilities and provides actionable remediation guidance prioritized by real-world exploitability.
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