CVE-2018-6972

VMware ESXi (6.7 before ESXi670-201806401-BG, 6.5 before ESXi650-201806401-BG, 6.0 before ESXi600-201806401-BG and 5.5 before ESXi550-201806401-BG), Workstation (14.x before 14.1.2), and Fusion (10.x before 10.1.2) contain a denial-of-service vulnerability due to NULL pointer dereference issue in RPC handler. Successful exploitation of this issue may allow attackers with normal user privileges to crash their VMs.

Published: 2018-07-25 Last update: 2026-06-16 Assigner: [email protected] Source: [email protected]
NVD Status：Modified，CVE State: published
View at NVD, CVE.org, EUVD

CVE-2018-6972 is rated Moderate Risk (56.2/100): CVSS Medium severity, with medium exploitation likelihood (EPSS 3.00%). Review affected assets and schedule remediation.

Risk is dynamic; we continuously reassess and refresh what is shown on this page as upstream context changes.

Exploit prediction scoring system (EPSS) score for CVE-2018-6972

EPSS lead: Daily EPSS estimates relative likelihood of exploitation; percentile ranks this CVE among scored vulnerabilities (higher = more severe relative rank).

# Date Old EPSS score New EPSS score Delta (New - Old)
1 2026-06-15 2.79% 3.00% +0.20%
2 2026-03-04 0.65% 2.79% +2.14%
3 2026-03-01 — 0.65% —

Full EPSS history (42 records total)

Common vulnerability scoring system (CVSS) metrics for CVE-2018-6972

CVSS metrics for this CVE.

Base score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Impact Score source
6.5 3.1 MEDIUM
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:N)
Could be attacked over the internet or any normal routed network—not just someone sitting at the machine.
Attack complexity (AC:L)
Once they can reach the bug, pulling it off is straightforward—no weird race conditions or rare setup.
Privileges required (PR:L)
A normal user session is enough; they don’t have to be admin.
User interaction (UI:N)
Nobody has to click “OK” or open a trap file; it can work without a victim helping.
Scope (S:U)
Damage stays in the same “trust bubble” as the broken component—no big spill into unrelated systems.
Confidentiality (C:N)
Doesn’t really leak secrets in a meaningful way.
Integrity (I:N)
Data isn’t meaningfully altered or forged.
Availability (A:H)
Could take the service down hard or make it unusable for people who depend on it.
 2.8 3.6 [email protected]
4.0 2.0 MEDIUM
AV:N/AC:L/Au:S/C:N/I:N/A:P Click to expand
Access vector (AV:N)
Can be exploited remotely over network reachability.
Access complexity (AC:L)
Exploitation conditions are straightforward and predictable.
Authentication (AU:S)
A single authentication is required.
Confidentiality impact (C:N)
No confidentiality impact.
Integrity impact (I:N)
No integrity impact.
Availability impact (A:P)
Partial availability impact.
 8.0 2.9 [email protected]

Weakness enumeration for CVE-2018-6972

Affected software / configurations for CVE-2018-6972

Vendor Product Version Raw CPE
vmware workstation >= 14.0, < 14.1.2 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:workstation:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware fusion >= 10.0, < 10.1.2 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:fusion:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 5.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:5.5:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 5.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:5.5:1:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 5.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:5.5:2:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 5.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:5.5:3a:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 5.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:5.5:3b:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 5.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:5.5:550-20170901001s:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 5.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:5.5:550-20170904001:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:1:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:1a:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:1b:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:2:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:3:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:3a:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201504401:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201505401:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201507101:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201507102:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201507401:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201507402:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201507403:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201507404:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201507405:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201507406:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201507407:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201509101:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201509102:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201509201:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201509202:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201509203:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201509204:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201509205:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201509206:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201509207:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201509208:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201509209:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201509210:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201510401:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201511401:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201601101:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201601102:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201601401:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201601402:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201601403:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201601404:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201601405:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201602401:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201603101:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201603102:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201603201:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201603202:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201603203:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201603204:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201603205:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201603206:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201603207:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201603208:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201605401:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201608101:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201608401:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201608402:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201608403:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201608404:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201608405:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201610410:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201611401:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201611402:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201611403:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201702101:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201702102:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201702201:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201702202:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201702203:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201702204:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201702205:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201702206:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201702207:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201702208:*:*:*:*:*:*

References for CVE-2018-6972

URL Tags
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/104884 Third Party Advisory VDB Entry
http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1041356 Broken Link Third Party Advisory VDB Entry
http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1041357 Broken Link Third Party Advisory VDB Entry
https://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2018-0018.html Patch Vendor Advisory
cvelogic Threat Intelligence