Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2018-18913 affects Opera before 57.0.3098.106. A user who opens an attacker-supplied ZIP containing an HTML page and malicious DLL could let Opera load the wrong DLL, potentially giving the attacker control of the system. This is serious but depends on user interaction and outdated Opera installations.
Executive priority
Prioritize remediation if Opera is present on managed Windows endpoints, especially in environments with high phishing exposure. The impact could be severe, but urgency is moderated by required user interaction and lack of cited active exploitation evidence.
Technical view
The issue is described as DLL search order hijacking in Opera before 57.0.3098.106, involving shcore.dll and dcomp.dll lookup behavior when an HTML file is opened from an attacker-crafted ZIP context. Public scoring and CWE data are not provided in the bundle.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely on Windows endpoints with Opera versions older than 57.0.3098.106, especially where users can open untrusted ZIP archives or HTML files. The bundle does not identify other affected products.
Exploitation context
The source bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or active exploitation evidence. Public description indicates a social-engineering path: the target receives and opens a crafted ZIP archive containing an HTML page and malicious DLL.
Researcher notes
Evidence is limited: no CVSS, CWE, KEV, or detailed vendor advisory is included. Treat the impact statement as source-derived, not independently scored. Avoid assuming exploit maturity beyond the described crafted ZIP and DLL search order behavior.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade Opera to 57.0.3098.106 or later per vendor guidance.
- Remove unsupported or unmanaged Opera installations from endpoints.
- Restrict opening untrusted ZIP archives containing HTML files where feasible.
- Use endpoint controls to block suspicious DLL loading from user-writable locations.
- Check Opera’s changelog and vendor guidance for any additional remediation details.
Validation and detection
- Inventory endpoints for Opera installations and exact version numbers.
- Flag any Opera version older than 57.0.3098.106.
- Review endpoint telemetry for Opera loading shcore.dll or dcomp.dll from unusual paths.
- Check mail and web security logs for suspicious ZIP delivery to users.
- Confirm remediation by rechecking Opera version after update or removal.
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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CVE-2018-18913 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://lucideustech.blogspot.com/2019/02/opera-search-order-hijacking-cve-2018-18913.htmlCVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- https://blogs.opera.com/desktop/changelog-for-57/CVE 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.