CVE-2018-11652: CSV Injection vulnerability in Nikto 2.1.6 and earlier allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary OS commands

Q: How do I fix CVE-2018-11652?

nikto: upgrade to newer than 2.1.6. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Q: Is CVE-2018-11652 being exploited?

CVE-2018-11652 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.

Q: What does CVE-2018-11652 affect?

CVE-2018-11652 affects nikto. Severity is critical (CVSS 9.8). CSV Injection vulnerability in Nikto 2.1.6 and earlier allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary OS commands via the Server field in an HTTP response header, which is directly injected into a CSV report.

Q: How urgent is CVE-2018-11652?

Priority 69/100. Critical severity; EPSS top 2%: very likely to be exploited; Public exploit reference; Remotely exploitable, no login, no user action

This week

CRITICAL 9.8REMOTEUPGRADE

CVE-2018-11652 is a critical-severity flaw (CVSS 9.8) affecting nikto. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

CSV Injection vulnerability in Nikto 2.1.6 and earlier allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary OS commands via the Server field in an HTTP response header, which is directly injected into a CSV report.

Why this priority

Critical severity
EPSS top 2%: very likely to be exploited
Public exploit reference
Remotely exploitable, no login, no user action

A fixed release or distro patch exists.

Risk facts

CVSS score	9.8 (Critical)
Attack vector	Network (remote)
Attack complexity	Low
Privileges needed	None
User interaction	None
EPSS exploit chance	23.6% (top 2%)
CISA exploited list	No
Weakness	CWE-1236
Published	2018-06-01
Last modified	2026-06-17

Publisher (CNA): MITRE · Vendor: cirt.net

Last updated 2026-06-17 · Sources: CVE Program, NVD, CISA KEV, EPSS and vendor advisories · How we score

Am I affected?

Timeline

2018-06-01 15:29 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-17 01:36 UTCUpdated Record last modified

cirt.net nikto UPGRADE

Affected: <= 2.1.6

Fixed in: newer than 2.1.6

Safe to downgrade to: no unaffected older release

1. Check installed version

apt-cache policy nikto || rpm -q nikto || nikto --version

2. UPGRADE to newer than 2.1.6 (Debian / Ubuntu)

sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade nikto

2. UPGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

sudo dnf upgrade nikto

Note

Distros often backport fixes without changing the version number. Confirm with the distro advisory or changelog.

Public exploits and detection

Public code exists for this CVE. Treat unpatched systems as at risk, and only run PoCs in a lab.

Exploit-DB: Nikto 2.1.6 - CSV Injection

Verify at the official source NVD · CVE Program · Report a problem with this page
Scores and fixes here are computed automatically from those and other public sources. Confirm with the vendor advisory before changing production systems.

Quick answers

How do I fix CVE-2018-11652?

nikto: upgrade to newer than 2.1.6. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Is CVE-2018-11652 being exploited?

CVE-2018-11652 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.

What does CVE-2018-11652 affect?

CVE-2018-11652 affects nikto. Severity is critical (CVSS 9.8). CSV Injection vulnerability in Nikto 2.1.6 and earlier allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary OS commands via the Server field in an HTTP response header, which is directly injected into a CSV report.

How urgent is CVE-2018-11652?

Priority 69/100. Critical severity; EPSS top 2%: very likely to be exploited; Public exploit reference; Remotely exploitable, no login, no user action

References

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