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CVE-2019-13272

7.8 · HIGHActively Exploited

In the Linux kernel before 5.1.17, ptrace_link in kernel/ptrace.c mishandles the recording of the credentials of a process that wants to create a ptrace relationship, which allows local users to ob…

Published Jul 17, 2019EPSS 52.20%

Overview

CVE-2019-13272 is a high-severity vulnerability. It was published on July 17, 2019 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 (HIGH). This vulnerability is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, indicating active exploitation in the wild.

This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8, rated HIGH. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. Some level of privileges is required for exploitation.

Technical description

In the Linux kernel before 5.1.17, ptrace_link in kernel/ptrace.c mishandles the recording of the credentials of a process that wants to create a ptrace relationship, which allows local users to obtain root access by leveraging certain scenarios with a parent-child process relationship, where a parent drops privileges and calls execve (potentially allowing control by an attacker). One contributing factor is an object lifetime issue (which can also cause a panic). Another contributing factor is incorrect marking of a ptrace relationship as privileged, which is exploitable through (for example) Polkit's pkexec helper with PTRACE_TRACEME. NOTE: SELinux deny_ptrace might be a usable workaround in some environments.

Remediation

Check the references section for vendor advisories, patches, and mitigation guidance. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.

References

Refpacketstormsecurity.com/files/153663/Linux-PTRACE_TRACEME-Broken-Permission-Object-Lifetime-Handling.htmlRefpacketstormsecurity.com/files/153702/Slackware-Security-Advisory-Slackware-14.2-kernel-Updates.htmlRefpacketstormsecurity.com/files/154245/Kernel-Live-Patch-Security-Notice-LSN-0054-1.htmlRefpacketstormsecurity.com/files/154957/Linux-Polkit-pkexec-Helper-PTRACE_TRACEME-Local-Root.htmlRefpacketstormsecurity.com/files/156929/Linux-PTRACE_TRACEME-Local-Root.htmlRefpacketstormsecurity.com/files/165051/Linux-Kernel-5.1.x-PTRACE_TRACEME-pkexec-Local-Privilege-Escalation.htmlRefaccess.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:2405Refaccess.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:2411Refaccess.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:2809Refbugs.chromium.org/p/project-zero/issues/detail?id=1903

How CyberStrike helps

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2019-13272?

CVE-2019-13272 is a high-severity vulnerability. It was published on July 17, 2019 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 (HIGH). This vulnerability is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, indicating active exploitation in the wild.

How severe is CVE-2019-13272?

This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8, rated HIGH. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. Some level of privileges is required for exploitation.

How do I fix or remediate CVE-2019-13272?

Check the references section for vendor advisories, patches, and mitigation guidance. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.

How can CyberStrike help with CVE-2019-13272?

CyberStrike is an open-source, AI-augmented pentesting engine. Rather than flag a version number, it tests whether an issue like CVE-2019-13272 is actually reachable in your own applications and APIs, then verifies each finding before reporting it. That tells you if the weakness is a real, exploitable risk in your environment or a false positive you can safely deprioritize.

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