systemd 242 changes the VT1 mode upon a logout, which allows attackers to read cleartext passwords in certain circumstances, such as…

Description

systemd 242 changes the VT1 mode upon a logout, which allows attackers to read cleartext passwords in certain circumstances, such as watching a shutdown, or using Ctrl-Alt-F1 and Ctrl-Alt-F2. This occurs because the KDGKBMODE (aka current keyboard mode) check is mishandled.

Scores

EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)

2.5% · top 15% of all CVEs (5 Nov 2026)

The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: Medium 4.3.

Weakness

• n/a

Affected products

• n/a

  • affected n/a

References (6)

• https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/systemd/+bug/1803993 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
• https://github.com/systemd/systemd/commit/9725f1a10f80f5e0ae7d9b60547458622aeb322f (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
• https://github.com/systemd/systemd/pull/12378 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
• 108389 (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_BIDx_transferred
• https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20190530-0002/ (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
• [mina-dev] 20210225 [jira] [Created] (FTPSERVER-500) Security vulnerability in common/lib/log4j-1.2.17.jar (opens in a new tab)mailing-listx_refsource_MLISTx_transferred

Sources

The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.

• CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
• CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
• NVD (opens in a new tab)
• FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
• OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
• GitHub Advisories (opens in a new tab)
• CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)

Badge for a README or a ticket

[![CVE-2018-20839](https://trackcve.app/badge/CVE-2018-20839.svg)](https://trackcve.app/cve/CVE-2018-20839)

Record last updated 5 Aug 2024, 12:12 UTC.