Description
The command-line argument parser in tcpdump before 4.9.3 has a buffer overflow in tcpdump.c:get_next_file().
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Debian
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 14 | tcpdump | 4.9.3-1 | — |
| Debian 13 | tcpdump | 4.9.3-1 | — |
| Debian 12 | tcpdump | 4.9.3-1 | — |
| Debian 10 | tcpdump | 4.9.3-1~deb10u1 | DSA-4547-1 |
| Debian 9 | tcpdump | 4.9.3-1~deb9u1 | DSA-4547-1 |
Show 1 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 8 | tcpdump | 4.9.3-1~deb8u1 | DLA-1955-1 |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 18.04 LTS | tcpdump | 4.9.3-0ubuntu0.18.04.1 | USN-4252-1 |
| Ubuntu 16.04 LTS | tcpdump | 4.9.3-0ubuntu0.16.04.1 | USN-4252-1 |
Show 1 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu Pro 14.04 LTS | tcpdump | 4.9.3-0ubuntu0.14.04.1+esm1 | USN-4252-2 |
Red Hat
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| RHEL 8 | tcpdump | 14:4.9.3-1.el8 | RHSA-2020:4760 |
Rocky Linux
Errata ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rocky Linux 8 | tcpdump | 4:4.9.3-1.el8 | RLSA-2020:4760 |
SUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLES 15 SP1 | tcpdump | 4.9.2-3.9.1 | SUSE-SU-2019:2674-1 |
| SLES 15 | tcpdump | 4.9.2-3.9.1 | SUSE-SU-2019:2674-1 |
| SLES 12 SP5 | tcpdump | 4.9.2-14.17.1 | SUSE-SU-2020:3360-1 |
Show 1 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLES for SAP 12 SP5 | tcpdump | 4.9.2-14.17.1 | SUSE-SU-2020:3360-1 |
openSUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| openSUSE Tumbleweed | tcpdump | 4.99.1-1.2 | openSUSE-SU-2024:11425-1 |
| openSUSE Leap 15.1 | tcpdump | 4.9.2-lp151.4.6.1 | openSUSE-SU-2019:2348-1 |
| openSUSE Leap 15.0 | tcpdump | 4.9.2-lp150.10.1 | openSUSE-SU-2019:2344-1 |
Alpine
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine v3.24 | tcpdump | 4.9.3-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.23 | tcpdump | 4.9.3-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.22 | tcpdump | 4.9.3-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.21 | tcpdump | 4.9.3-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.20 | tcpdump | 4.9.3-r0 | — |
Show 11 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine v3.19 | tcpdump | 4.9.3-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.18 | tcpdump | 4.9.3-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.17 | tcpdump | 4.9.3-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.16 | tcpdump | 4.9.3-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.15 | tcpdump | 4.9.3-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.14 | tcpdump | 4.9.3-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.13 | tcpdump | 4.9.3-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.12 | tcpdump | 4.9.3-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.11 | tcpdump | 4.9.3-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.10 | tcpdump | 4.9.3-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.9 | tcpdump | 4.9.3-r0 | — |
Oracle Linux
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oracle Linux 8 | tcpdump | 14:4.9.3-1.el8 | ELSA-2020-4760 |
Public exploits
Exploit or proof-of-concept code for this vulnerability is publicly available, which lowers the bar for attackers. Treat it as a reason to patch sooner.
Third-party code, not reviewed by us. Public PoCs are sometimes fake or contain malware. Read the code first and run it only in an isolated lab, against systems you are authorised to test.
GitHub 1 repository
-
Trinadh465/external_tcpdump_CVE-2018-14879 ★ 0 · Sep 13, 2023
Sources: PoC-in-GitHub, Metasploit Framework, Exploit-DB — updated daily. Only links are listed; no exploit code is hosted here.
Advisories 12
- DSA-4547-1 tcpdump - security update Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
- DLA-1955-1 tcpdump - security update Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
- USN-4252-1 tcpdump vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Feb 10, 2026
- USN-4252-2 tcpdump vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Feb 10, 2026
- RLSA-2020:4760 Moderate: tcpdump security, bug fix, and enhancement update Rocky Linux Security Advisories · Feb 5, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2020:3360-1 Security update for tcpdump SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- openSUSE-SU-2024:11425-1 tcpdump-4.99.1-1.2 on GA media SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- openSUSE-SU-2019:2348-1 Security update for tcpdump SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2019:2674-1 Security update for tcpdump SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- openSUSE-SU-2019:2344-1 Security update for tcpdump SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- RHSA-2020:4760 Red Hat Security Advisory: tcpdump security, bug fix, and enhancement update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jan 14, 2026
- ELSA-2020-4760 Moderate: tcpdump security, bug fix, and enhancement update (Oracle Linux 8) Oracle Linux Security Advisories (ELSA) · Nov 10, 2020
References
- https://github.com/the-tcpdump-group/tcpdump/blob/tcpdump-4.9/CHANGES
- https://github.com/the-tcpdump-group/tcpdump/commit/9ba91381954ad325ea4fd26b9c65a8bd9a2a85b6
- [debian-lts-announce] 20191011 [SECURITY] [DLA 1955-1] tcpdump security update mailing-list
- openSUSE-SU-2019:2344 vendor-advisory
- openSUSE-SU-2019:2348 vendor-advisory
- 20191021 [SECURITY] [DSA 4547-1] tcpdump security update mailing-list
- DSA-4547 vendor-advisory
- FEDORA-2019-85d92df70f vendor-advisory
- FEDORA-2019-d06bc63433 vendor-advisory
- FEDORA-2019-6db0d5b9d9 vendor-advisory
- https://support.f5.com/csp/article/K51512510?utm_source=f5support&%3Butm_medium=RSS
- https://support.apple.com/kb/HT210788
- 20191211 APPLE-SA-2019-12-10-3 macOS Catalina 10.15.2, Security Update 2019-002 Mojave, Security Update 2019-007 High Sierra mailing-list
- 20191213 APPLE-SA-2019-12-10-3 macOS Catalina 10.15.2, Security Update 2019-002 Mojave, Security Update 2019-007 High Sierra mailing-list
- https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20200120-0001/
- USN-4252-2 vendor-advisory
- USN-4252-1 vendor-advisory