CVE-2018-18860: A local privilege escalation vulnerability has been identified in the SwitchVPN client 2.1012.03 for macOS

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HIGH 7.8DOWNGRADE

CVE-2018-18860 is a high-severity flaw (CVSS 7.8) affecting switchvpn. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

A local privilege escalation vulnerability has been identified in the SwitchVPN client 2.1012.03 for macOS. Due to over-permissive configuration settings and a SUID binary, an attacker is able to execute arbitrary binaries as root.

Why this priority

High severity
Public exploit reference

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

Risk facts

CVSS score	7.8 (High)
Attack vector	Local
Attack complexity	Low
Privileges needed	Low
User interaction	None
EPSS exploit chance	1.2% (top 32%)
CISA exploited list	No
Published	2018-11-30
Last modified	2026-06-17

Publisher (CNA): MITRE · Vendor: switchvpn

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

Am I affected?

Timeline

2018-11-30 18:29 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-17 01:48 UTCUpdated Record last modified

switchvpn switchvpn DOWNGRADE

Affected: 2.1012.03

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 2.1012.03

1. Check installed version

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

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE to a release before 2.1012.03 (Debian / Ubuntu)

apt-cache madison switchvpn sudo apt install switchvpn=<VERSION_BEFORE_2.1012.03> sudo apt-mark hold switchvpn

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

dnf --showduplicates list switchvpn sudo dnf downgrade switchvpn-<VERSION_BEFORE_2.1012.03> sudo dnf versionlock add switchvpn

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.

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: SwitchVPN for macOS 2.1012.03 - Privilege Escalation

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-2018-18860?

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

Is CVE-2018-18860 being exploited?

CVE-2018-18860 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-2018-18860 affect?

CVE-2018-18860 affects switchvpn. Severity is high (CVSS 7.8). A local privilege escalation vulnerability has been identified in the SwitchVPN client 2.1012.03 for macOS. Due to over-permissive configuration settings and a SUID binary, an attacker is able to execute arbitrary binaries as root.

How urgent is CVE-2018-18860?

Priority 49/100. High severity; Public exploit reference

Software pages

macOS vulnerabilities

References

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