libxkbcommon resolve_keysym Denial of Service Vulnerability [CVE-2018-15864]

CVE Number – CVE-2018-15864

A vulnerability in libxkbcommon could allow a local attacker to cause a denial of service (DoS) condition on a targeted system.The vulnerability is due to an unchecked NULL pointer usage condition by the resolve_keysym function, as defined in the xkbcomp/parser.y source code file of the affected software. A local attacker could exploit this vulnerability by submitting a crafted keymap file that submits malicious input to an affected system. A successful exploit could cause the targeted system to crash, resulting in a DoS condition.The vendor has confirmed the vulnerability and released software updates.

Analysis

• To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker must have user-level access to the targeted system. This access requirement may reduce the likelihood of a successful exploit.

Safeguards

• Administrators are advised to apply the appropriate updates. Administrators are advised to allow only trusted users to access local systems. Administrators are advised to allow only privileged users to access administration or management systems. Administrators are advised to monitor critical systems.

Vendor Announcements

• The vendor has released a git commit at the following link: commit a8ea7a1d3daa7bdcb877615ae0a252c189153bd2

Fixed Software

• The vendor has released software updates at the following link: libxkbcommon 0.8.2