CVE-2018-21258: Github.com/mattermost/mattermost server Denial of Service Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-5mh6-p63g-3mv5
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CVSS 7.5
CWE-400
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2018-21258 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.5) denial of service vulnerability (CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption) affecting Github.com/mattermost/mattermost server libraries in the Go ecosystem. The issue involves mattermost server is vulnerable to a denial of service attack through `invite_people` command. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 5.1.0.

CVE-2018-21258 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2018-21258
GHSA Identifier GHSA-5mh6-p63g-3mv5
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.5
CWE Classification CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption
Affected Product Github.com/mattermost/mattermost server
Package Ecosystem Go
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 7.5

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality None (C:N)
Integrity None (I:N)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2018-21258

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Github.com/mattermost/mattermost server dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

github.com/mattermost/mattermost-server fixed: 5.1.0 
Upgrade github.com/mattermost/mattermost-server to 5.1.0
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

inspect dependencies for github.com/mattermost/mattermost-server

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2018-21258, inspect your project dependencies for Github.com/mattermost/mattermost server:

inspect dependencies for github.com/mattermost/mattermost-server

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Github.com/mattermost/mattermost server in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 5.1.0), your application is affected.

Note: Verify declared build manifests and deployed runtime container environments.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption, where the product does not properly control the allocation and maintenance of a limited resource. In Github.com/mattermost/mattermost server, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

An issue was discovered in Mattermost Server before 5.1.0. It allows attackers to cause a denial of service via the invite_people slash command.

CVE-2018-21258 Affected Github.com/mattermost/mattermost server Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
5.1.0
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
github.com/mattermost/mattermost-server
golang/github.com/mattermost/mattermost-server
Go
< 5.1.0
5.1.0

References

NVD — CVE-2018-21258 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-21258
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/mattermost/mattermost/commit/af615ffc24b774d76deef8c93282831432669dd8
Github.com/mattermost/mattermost server Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/mattermost/mattermost
Github.com/mattermost/mattermost server Security Information SECURITY
https://mattermost.com/security-updates

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2018-21258?
CVE-2018-21258 is a security vulnerability in Github.com/mattermost/mattermost server involving Mattermost Server is vulnerable to a Denial of Service attack through `invite_people` command under CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption.
Which Github.com/mattermost/mattermost server versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 5.1.0 across affected packages: github.com/mattermost/mattermost-server.
What version fixes CVE-2018-21258?
Upgrading to 5.1.0 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is github.com/mattermost/mattermost-server affected?
Yes, github.com/mattermost/mattermost-server is affected in releases prior to 5.1.0. Upgrade your dependency to 5.1.0 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2018-21258?
CVE-2018-21258 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2018-21258?
CVE-2018-21258 is classified under CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption (The product does not properly control the allocation and maintenance of a limited resource.).
How can I check Go dependencies for CVE-2018-21258?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for github.com/mattermost/mattermost-server'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-5mh6-p63g-3mv5",
  "modified" : "2025-11-20T21:02:18Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-24T17:21:09Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2018-21258" ],
  "summary" : "Mattermost Server is vulnerable to a Denial of Service attack through `invite_people` command",
  "details" : "An issue was discovered in Mattermost Server before 5.1.0. It allows attackers to cause a denial of service via the invite_people slash command.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Go",
      "name" : "github.com/mattermost/mattermost-server"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "5.1.0"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-21258"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/mattermost/mattermost/commit/af615ffc24b774d76deef8c93282831432669dd8"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/mattermost/mattermost"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://mattermost.com/security-updates"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-400" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2025-11-20T21:02:18Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2020-06-19T17:15:00Z"
  }
}