CVE-2018-6981

VMware ESXi 6.7 without ESXi670-201811401-BG and VMware ESXi 6.5 without ESXi650-201811301-BG, VMware ESXi 6.0 without ESXi600-201811401-BG, VMware Workstation 15, VMware Workstation 14.1.3 or below, VMware Fusion 11, VMware Fusion 10.1.3 or below contain uninitialized stack memory usage in the vmxnet3 virtual network adapter which may allow a guest to execute code on the host.

Published: 2018-12-04 Last update: 2026-06-16 Assigner: [email protected] Source: [email protected]
NVD Status：Modified，CVE State: published
View at NVD, CVE.org, EUVD

CVE-2018-6981 is rated Moderate Risk (53.3/100): CVSS High severity, with medium exploitation likelihood (EPSS 1.27%). 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-2018-6981

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 6.85% 1.27% -5.57%
2 2026-04-21 6.89% 6.85% -0.05%
3 2026-03-04 — 6.89% —

Full EPSS history (45 records total)

Common vulnerability scoring system (CVSS) metrics for CVE-2018-6981

CVSS metrics for this CVE.

Base score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Impact Score source
8.8 3.1 HIGH
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:L)
They already need access on the box, or another person has to do something wrong; it’s not a remote drive-by.
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:C)
Breaking this can reach past the original component and bite other resources—bigger blast radius.
Confidentiality (C:H)
Serious risk that confidential data gets exposed in a big way.
Integrity (I:H)
They could widely tamper with or forge data—trust in the data is badly hurt.
Availability (A:H)
Could take the service down hard or make it unusable for people who depend on it.
 2.0 6.0 [email protected]
7.2 2.0 HIGH
AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C Click to expand
Access vector (AV:L)
Requires local access to the target system.
Access complexity (AC:L)
Exploitation conditions are straightforward and predictable.
Authentication (AU:N)
No authentication is required.
Confidentiality impact (C:C)
Complete confidentiality impact.
Integrity impact (I:C)
Complete integrity impact.
Availability impact (A:C)
Complete availability impact.
 3.9 10.0 [email protected]

Weakness enumeration for CVE-2018-6981

Affected software / configurations for CVE-2018-6981

Vendor Product Version Raw CPE
vmware workstation >= 14.0.0, < 14.1.4 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:workstation:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware workstation 15.0.0 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:workstation:15.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware fusion >= 10.0.0, < 10.1.4 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:fusion:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware fusion 11.0.0 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:fusion:11.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
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:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201702209:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201702210:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201702211:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201702212:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201703401:*:*:*:*:*:*

References for CVE-2018-6981

URL Tags
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/105881 Third Party Advisory VDB Entry
http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1042054 Third Party Advisory VDB Entry
http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1042055 Third Party Advisory VDB Entry
https://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2018-0027.html Vendor Advisory
cvelogic Threat Intelligence