CVE-2018-18398: Xfce Thunar 1.6.15, when Xfce 4.12 is used, mishandles the IBus-Unikey input method for file searches within F

Q: How do I fix CVE-2018-18398?

thunar: upgrade to 1.6.15; xfce: upgrade to 4.12. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Q: Is CVE-2018-18398 being exploited?

CVE-2018-18398 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-2018-18398 affect?

CVE-2018-18398 affects thunar, xfce. Severity is medium (CVSS 4.7). Xfce Thunar 1.6.15, when Xfce 4.12 is used, mishandles the IBus-Unikey input method for file searches within File Manager, leading to an out-of-bounds read and SEGV. This could potentially be exploited by an arbitrary local user who creates

Q: How urgent is CVE-2018-18398?

Priority 28/100. Public exploit reference

Routine

MEDIUM 4.7UPGRADEUPGRADE

CVE-2018-18398 is a medium-severity flaw (CVSS 4.7) affecting thunar, xfce. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

Xfce Thunar 1.6.15, when Xfce 4.12 is used, mishandles the IBus-Unikey input method for file searches within File Manager, leading to an out-of-bounds read and SEGV. This could potentially be exploited by an arbitrary local user who creates files in /tmp before the victim uses this input method.

Why this priority

Public exploit reference

A fixed release or distro patch exists.

Risk facts

CVSS score	4.7 (Medium)
Attack vector	Local
Attack complexity	High
Privileges needed	Low
User interaction	None
EPSS exploit chance	0.3% (top 75%)
CISA exploited list	No
Weakness	CWE-125
Published	2018-10-19
Last modified	2026-06-17

Publisher (CNA): MITRE · Vendor: xfce

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

Am I affected?

Timeline

2018-10-19 22:29 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-17 01:47 UTCUpdated Record last modified

xfce thunar UPGRADE

Affected: < 1.6.15

Fixed in: 1.6.15

Safe to downgrade to: no unaffected older release

1. Check installed version

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

2. UPGRADE to 1.6.15 (Debian / Ubuntu)

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

2. UPGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

sudo dnf upgrade thunar

Note

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

xfce xfce UPGRADE

Affected: < 4.12

Fixed in: 4.12

Safe to downgrade to: no unaffected older release

1. Check installed version

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

2. UPGRADE to 4.12 (Debian / Ubuntu)

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

2. UPGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

sudo dnf upgrade xfce

Note

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

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-2018-18398?

thunar: upgrade to 1.6.15; xfce: upgrade to 4.12. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Is CVE-2018-18398 being exploited?

CVE-2018-18398 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-2018-18398 affect?

CVE-2018-18398 affects thunar, xfce. Severity is medium (CVSS 4.7). Xfce Thunar 1.6.15, when Xfce 4.12 is used, mishandles the IBus-Unikey input method for file searches within File Manager, leading to an out-of-bounds read and SEGV. This could potentially be exploited by an arbitrary local user who creates

How urgent is CVE-2018-18398?

Priority 28/100. Public exploit reference

Related CVEs

CVE-2021-32563 CRITICAL 9.8 UPGRADE An issue was discovered in Thunar before 4.16.7 and 4.17.x before 4.17.2
CVE-2011-1588 HIGH 7.8 DOWNGRADE MITIGATE Thunar before 1.3.1 could crash when copy and pasting a file name with % format characters due to a format str

References

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