Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2018-11496 is a memory-safety flaw in lrzip 0.631, a compression utility. A malformed archive could trigger a use-after-free during decompression. The public bundle does not provide CVSS, confirmed exploitation, or complete affected-version data beyond lrzip 0.631.
Executive priority
Prioritize based on use. If lrzip is present only on isolated admin systems, handle through normal patching. If it processes customer, email, backup, or pipeline archives, treat remediation as time-sensitive.
Technical view
The CVE describes a use-after-free in read_stream in stream.c, caused by missing size validation in decompress_file in lrzip.c. Evidence points to lrzip 0.631 and a later Debian LTS security update, but the bundle lacks detailed fixed-version mapping.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely on Linux systems, build pipelines, backup workflows, or file-processing services that have lrzip installed and decompress untrusted or externally supplied archives.
Exploitation context
No active exploitation is cited, and the CVE is not listed as KEV in the provided bundle. Practical risk depends on whether an attacker can get a vulnerable system to process a malicious lrzip archive.
Researcher notes
The public evidence is sparse: no CVSS, CWE, exploit status, or full affected-version range is provided. Analysis should stay anchored to lrzip 0.631, the named source files, and the Debian LTS update reference.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory systems and workflows that install or invoke lrzip.
- Apply vendor or distribution lrzip security updates where available.
- For Debian LTS systems, review and apply DLA 2725-1 guidance.
- Avoid automated decompression of untrusted lrzip archives until patched.
- Monitor vendor advisories for precise fixed-version information.
Validation and detection
- Confirm whether lrzip 0.631 is installed on relevant systems.
- Check package manager records for lrzip security update status.
- Identify services or jobs that process externally supplied archives.
- Review crash logs for lrzip decompression failures.
- Document residual exposure where fixed-version evidence is unavailable.
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
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CVE-2018-11496 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
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/ckolivas/lrzip/issues/96CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- [debian-lts-announce] 20210801 [SECURITY] [DLA 2725-1] lrzip security updateCVE reference · mailing-list, x_refsource_MLIST
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.