CVE-2018-6790 : What You Need to Know

A vulnerability has been found in KDE Plasma Workspace versions prior to 5.12.0 that allows remote attackers to obtain client IP addresses.

Understanding CVE-2018-6790

This CVE relates to a vulnerability in the notificationsengine.cpp file in the dataengines/notifications folder of KDE Plasma Workspace.

What is CVE-2018-6790?

The CVE-2018-6790 vulnerability enables remote attackers to discover client IP addresses by including a URL in a notification, such as the src attribute of an IMG element.

The Impact of CVE-2018-6790

The vulnerability in KDE Plasma Workspace versions prior to 5.12.0 can be exploited by malicious actors to gather IP addresses of clients, potentially compromising user privacy and security.

Technical Details of CVE-2018-6790

This section provides more technical insights into the CVE-2018-6790 vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The issue is located in dataengines/notifications/notificationsengine.cpp, allowing attackers to reveal client IP addresses through URLs in notifications.

Affected Systems and Versions

Affected System: KDE Plasma Workspace
Affected Versions: Prior to 5.12.0

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by embedding a URL, such as in the src attribute of an IMG element, in a notification to retrieve client IP addresses.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2018-6790 and enhance system security, follow these mitigation strategies:

Immediate Steps to Take

Update KDE Plasma Workspace to version 5.12.0 or later to eliminate the vulnerability.
Monitor network traffic for any suspicious activities that could indicate exploitation attempts.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement network segmentation to restrict access to sensitive information.
Educate users on safe browsing practices to minimize the risk of falling victim to similar attacks.

Patching and Updates

Regularly apply security patches and updates provided by KDE to ensure the latest security measures are in place.