---
title: "CVE-2018-11319\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-2018-11319?format=md
keywords: index, follow
---

# CVE-2018-11319

Publication date 20 May 2018

Last updated 26 August 2025

---

Ubuntu priority

**Medium**

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

## Cvss 3 Severity Score

**7.5 · High**

[Score breakdown](https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2018-11319?format=md#impact-score)

Toggle side navigation

## Description

Syntastic (aka vim-syntastic) through 3.9.0 does not properly handle
searches for configuration files (it searches the current directory up to
potentially the root). This improper handling might be exploited for
arbitrary code execution via a malicious gcc plugin, if an attacker has
write access to a directory that is a parent of the base directory of the
project being checked. NOTE: exploitation is more difficult after 3.8.0
because filename prediction may be needed.

## Status

Show unmaintained releases

| Package | Ubuntu Release | Status |
| --- | --- | --- |
| vim-syntastic | 26.04 LTS resolute | Not affected |
| 25.10 questing | Not affected |
| 25.04 plucky | Not affected |
| 24.10 oracular | Not affected |
| 24.04 LTS noble | Not affected |
| 23.10 mantic | Not affected |
| 23.04 lunar | Not affected |
| 22.10 kinetic | Not affected |
| 22.04 LTS jammy | Not affected |
| 21.10 impish | Not affected |
| 21.04 hirsute | Not affected |
| 20.10 groovy | Not affected |
| 20.04 LTS focal | Not affected |
| 19.10 eoan | Not affected |
| 19.04 disco | Not affected |
| 18.10 cosmic | Not affected |
| 18.04 LTS bionic | Vulnerable |
| 17.10 artful | Ignored end of life |
| 16.04 LTS xenial | Fixed 3.7.0-1+deb9u2build0.16.04.1 |
| 14.04 LTS trusty | Not in release |

---

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

## Severity score breakdown

CVSS version:
CVSS v3.0

**Base score**

7.5 · High

* Base metrics

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

  | Parameter | Value |
  | --- | --- |
  | Base score | 7.5 · High |
  | Exploitability score | - |
  | Impact score | - |

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

## References

* [MITRE](https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2018-11319)
* [NVD](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-11319)
* [Launchpad](https://launchpad.net/bugs/cve/CVE-2018-11319)
* [Debian](https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2018-11319)

### Other references

* <https://github.com/vim-syntastic/syntastic/issues/2170>
* <https://github.com/vim-syntastic/syntastic/commit/6d7c0b394e001233dd09ec473fbea2002c72632f>
* <https://bugs.debian.org/894736>
* <https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2018-11319>