CVE-2018-18385 : What You Need to Know

Asciidoctor before version 1.5.8 is vulnerable to a denial of service attack due to an infinite loop. This loop is triggered by a discrepancy in regular expressions, causing lines to be repeatedly pushed back onto the reader.

Understanding CVE-2018-18385

Versions of Asciidoctor prior to 1.5.8 are susceptible to a denial of service vulnerability that can be exploited by remote attackers.

What is CVE-2018-18385?

Asciidoctor versions before 1.5.8 have a vulnerability that allows remote attackers to create a denial of service attack through an infinite loop. The issue arises from a discrepancy in regular expressions used to detect different types of lists.

The Impact of CVE-2018-18385

The vulnerability can be exploited by remote attackers to trigger an infinite loop, leading to a denial of service condition on the affected system.

Technical Details of CVE-2018-18385

Asciidoctor in versions prior to 1.5.8 is affected by this vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability stems from a discrepancy between regular expressions for detecting lists, causing an infinite loop due to lines not being fully consumed as expected.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Not applicable
Vendor: Not applicable
Versions affected: Not applicable

Exploitation Mechanism

Remote attackers can exploit the discrepancy in regular expressions to trigger an infinite loop, leading to a denial of service attack.

Mitigation and Prevention

It is crucial to take immediate steps to address and prevent the exploitation of this vulnerability.

Immediate Steps to Take

Upgrade Asciidoctor to version 1.5.8 or later to mitigate the vulnerability.
Monitor for any unusual activity that could indicate a denial of service attack.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update software and libraries to the latest versions to prevent known vulnerabilities.
Implement network security measures to detect and block malicious traffic.

Patching and Updates

Apply patches and updates provided by the software vendor to address security vulnerabilities promptly.