---
title: "CVE-2017-18240\n    | Ubuntu"
description: Ubuntu is an open source software operating system that runs from the
  desktop, to the cloud, to all your internet connected things.
url: https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2017-18240?format=md
keywords: index, follow
---

# CVE-2017-18240

Publication date 19 March 2018

Last updated 25 August 2025

---

Ubuntu priority

**Medium**

[Why this priority?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#priority )

## Cvss 3 Severity Score

**5.5 · Medium**

[Score breakdown](https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2017-18240?format=md#impact-score)

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## Description

The Gentoo app-admin/collectd package before 5.7.2-r1 sets the ownership of
PID file directory to the collectd account, which might allow local users
to kill arbitrary processes by leveraging access to this account for PID
file modification before a root script sends a SIGKILL (when the service is
stopped).

[Read the notes from the security team](https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2017-18240?format=md#notes)

## Status

Show unmaintained releases

| Package | Ubuntu Release | Status |
| --- | --- | --- |
| collectd | 17.10 artful | Not affected |
| 16.04 LTS xenial | Not affected |
| 14.04 LTS trusty | Not affected |

---

* [How can I get the fixes?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#security)
* [What do statuses mean?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#statuses)

## Notes

---

### [seth-arnold](https://launchpad.net/~seth-arnold)

Our init scripts use start-stop-daemon --pidfile

## Severity score breakdown

CVSS version:
CVSS v3.0

**Base score**

5.5 · Medium

* Base metrics

  | Parameter | Value |
  | --- | --- |
  | Attack vector | Local |
  | Attack complexity | Low |
  | Privileges required | Low |
  | User interaction | None |
  | Scope | Unchanged |
  | Confidentiality impact | None |
  | Integrity impact | None |
  | Availability impact | High |
* Scores

  | Parameter | Value |
  | --- | --- |
  | Base score | 5.5 · Medium |
  | Exploitability score | - |
  | Impact score | - |

**Vector:** CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

## References

* [MITRE](https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2017-18240)
* [NVD](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-18240)
* [Launchpad](https://launchpad.net/bugs/cve/CVE-2017-18240)
* [Debian](https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2017-18240)

### Other references

* <https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-18240>