CVE-2018-16398: In Twistlock AuthZ Broker 0.1, regular expressions are mishandled, as demonstrated by containers/aa/pause?aaa=

This month

HIGH 7.5REMOTEDOWNGRADE

CVE-2018-16398 is a high-severity flaw (CVSS 7.5) affecting authz broker. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

In Twistlock AuthZ Broker 0.1, regular expressions are mishandled, as demonstrated by containers/aa/pause?aaa=\/start to bypass a policy in which "docker start" is allowed but "docker pause" is not allowed.

Why this priority

High severity
Remotely exploitable, no login, no user action

No fix is published yet: follow the downgrade or mitigation steps.

Risk facts

CVSS score	7.5 (High)
Attack vector	Network (remote)
Attack complexity	Low
Privileges needed	None
User interaction	None
EPSS exploit chance	1.4% (top 28%)
CISA exploited list	No
Published	2018-09-03
Last modified	2026-06-17

Publisher (CNA): MITRE · Vendor: twistlock

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

Am I affected?

Timeline

2018-09-03 19:29 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-17 01:44 UTCUpdated Record last modified

twistlock authz broker DOWNGRADE

Affected: 0.1

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 0.1

1. Check installed version

apt-cache policy authz-broker || rpm -q authz-broker || authz-broker --version

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE to a release before 0.1 (Debian / Ubuntu)

apt-cache madison authz-broker sudo apt install authz-broker=<VERSION_BEFORE_0.1> sudo apt-mark hold authz-broker

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

dnf --showduplicates list authz-broker sudo dnf downgrade authz-broker-<VERSION_BEFORE_0.1> sudo dnf versionlock add authz-broker

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.

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-2018-16398?

authz broker: downgrade or apply the listed mitigation. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Is CVE-2018-16398 being exploited?

CVE-2018-16398 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-2018-16398 affect?

CVE-2018-16398 affects authz broker. Severity is high (CVSS 7.5). In Twistlock AuthZ Broker 0.1, regular expressions are mishandled, as demonstrated by containers/aa/pause?aaa=\/start to bypass a policy in which "docker start" is allowed but "docker pause" is not allowed.

How urgent is CVE-2018-16398?

Priority 49/100. High severity; Remotely exploitable, no login, no user action

Software pages

Docker vulnerabilities

References

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