Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2018-1000216 affects cJSON 1.7.2 and earlier. A double-free bug can cause a crash and may allow remote code execution, depending on how an application uses the library. The source states it is fixed in cJSON 1.7.3.
Executive priority
Treat this as targeted upgrade and inventory work unless cJSON is used in exposed parsing or printing paths. Escalate priority for internet-facing services or products that print untrusted JSON.
Technical view
The vulnerability is a CWE-415 double free in the cJSON library. Exploitation requires an attacker to make a victim print JSON data. The reachable attack path depends on integration: it may be local or network-facing if attacker-controlled JSON reaches cJSON printing logic.
Likely exposure
Exposure is likely in software that embeds cJSON 1.7.2 or earlier and prints JSON influenced by users, files, APIs, or network clients. The CVE record does not identify specific downstream products or CPEs.
Exploitation context
The source bundle does not cite active exploitation, and KEV is false. The described prerequisite is attacker influence over JSON data that the victim application prints using vulnerable cJSON behavior.
Researcher notes
Evidence is limited to the CVE description and upstream GitHub issue reference. No CVSS vector, affected CPE list, or public exploitation evidence is provided in the source bundle.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade cJSON to version 1.7.3 or later where feasible.
- Check vendor guidance for products that bundle cJSON internally.
- Inventory statically linked or vendored cJSON copies in source trees.
- Prioritize components that print attacker-controlled JSON data.
Validation and detection
- Search code and dependency manifests for cJSON versions 1.7.2 or earlier.
- Confirm whether cJSON is vendored, statically linked, or supplied by the OS.
- Review application paths that print JSON from untrusted inputs.
- Verify deployed binaries or packages include the fixed cJSON version.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
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Execution behavior lookup
The CVE wording references code or command execution, so execution technique review may help defensive triage. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2018-1000216 mapping review
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Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Unknown
- CVSS
- Not scored
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS and timeline data
No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://github.com/DaveGamble/cJSON/issues/241CVE reference · x_refsource_CONFIRM
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.