CVE-2018-15120: libpango in Pango 1.40.8 through 1.42.3, as used in hexchat and other products, allows remote attackers to cau

This week

MEDIUM 6.5WATCHLISTUPGRADEMITIGATE

CVE-2018-15120 is a medium-severity flaw (CVSS 6.5) affecting pango, ubuntu linux. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

libpango in Pango 1.40.8 through 1.42.3, as used in hexchat and other products, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) or possibly have unspecified other impact via crafted text with invalid Unicode sequences.

Why this priority

EPSS top 4%: very likely to be exploited
Public exploit reference
On your watchlist

A fixed release or distro patch exists.

Risk facts

CVSS score	6.5 (Medium)
Attack vector	Network (remote)
Attack complexity	Low
Privileges needed	None
User interaction	Required
EPSS exploit chance	11.4% (top 4%)
CISA exploited list	No
Weakness	CWE-119
Published	2018-08-24
Last modified	2026-06-17

Publisher (CNA): MITRE · Vendor: canonical · gnome

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

Am I affected?

Timeline

2018-08-24 19:29 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-17 01:42 UTCUpdated Record last modified

gnome pango UPGRADE

Affected: >= 1.40.8 and <= 1.42.3

Fixed in: newer than 1.42.3

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 1.40.8

1. Check installed version

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

2. UPGRADE to newer than 1.42.3 (Debian / Ubuntu)

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

2. UPGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

sudo dnf upgrade pango

Note

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

3. If no update is available yet, DOWNGRADE to a release before 1.40.8 (Debian / Ubuntu)

apt-cache madison pango sudo apt install pango=<VERSION_BEFORE_1.40.8> sudo apt-mark hold pango

3. If no update is available yet, DOWNGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

dnf --showduplicates list pango sudo dnf downgrade pango-<VERSION_BEFORE_1.40.8> sudo dnf versionlock add pango

Downgrade risk

Downgrading can break dependent software and may reopen older bugs. Read the distro advisory first and test on a non-production host.

After downgrade

Restart the service, and keep the package held until a fixed release ships.

canonical ubuntu linux MITIGATE

Affected: 18.04

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 18.04

Check your OS release

cat /etc/os-release; uname -r

Debian / Ubuntu

sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade

RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora

sudo dnf upgrade --refresh

Windows

Install the latest cumulative update from Windows Update

If no patch exists yet

OS downgrades are not safe. Apply the vendor mitigation from the advisory and restrict exposure.

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: Libpango 1.40.8 - Denial of Service (PoC)

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-2018-15120?

pango: upgrade to newer than 1.42.3; ubuntu linux: mitigate or apply the listed mitigation. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Is CVE-2018-15120 being exploited?

CVE-2018-15120 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-2018-15120 affect?

CVE-2018-15120 affects pango, ubuntu linux. Severity is medium (CVSS 6.5). libpango in Pango 1.40.8 through 1.42.3, as used in hexchat and other products, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) or possibly have unspecified other impact via crafted text with invalid Unicode sequenc

How urgent is CVE-2018-15120?

Priority 57/100. EPSS top 4%: very likely to be exploited; Public exploit reference; On your watchlist

Software pages

Ubuntu vulnerabilities

Related CVEs

CVE-2019-1010238 CRITICAL 9.8 UPGRADE DOWNGRADE Gnome Pango 1.42 and later is affected by: Buffer Overflow

References

← Back to latest CVEs