Go to homepageCyberStrike

Menu

Star on GitHub · 3.2k
Sign inDownload

CVE-2019-16764

6.5 · MEDIUM

The use of `String.to_atom/1` in PowAssent is susceptible to denial of service attacks.

Published Nov 25, 2019CWE-400EPSS 1.08%

Overview

CVE-2019-16764 is a medium-severity vulnerability. It was published on November 25, 2019 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 6.5 (MEDIUM).

This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 6.5, rated MEDIUM. It can be exploited remotely over the network. Some level of privileges is required for exploitation.

Technical description

The use of `String.to_atom/1` in PowAssent is susceptible to denial of service attacks. In `PowAssent.Phoenix.AuthorizationController` a value is fetched from the user provided params, and `String.to_atom/1` is used to convert the binary value to an atom so it can be used to fetch the provider configuration value. This is unsafe as it is user provided data, and can be used to fill up the whole atom table of ~1M which will cause the app to crash.

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

Referlang.org/doc/efficiency_guide/commoncaveats.html#list_to_atom-1GitHubgithub.com/pow-auth/pow_assent/commit/026105eeecc0e3c2f807e7109e745ea93c0fd9cfGitHubgithub.com/pow-auth/pow_assent/security/advisories/GHSA-368c-xvrv-x986Refhex.pm/packages/pow_assentReferlang.org/doc/efficiency_guide/commoncaveats.html#list_to_atom-1GitHubgithub.com/pow-auth/pow_assent/commit/026105eeecc0e3c2f807e7109e745ea93c0fd9cfGitHubgithub.com/pow-auth/pow_assent/security/advisories/GHSA-368c-xvrv-x986Refhex.pm/packages/pow_assent

How CyberStrike helps

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2019-16764?

CVE-2019-16764 is a medium-severity vulnerability. It was published on November 25, 2019 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 6.5 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2019-16764?

This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 6.5, rated MEDIUM. It can be exploited remotely over the network. Some level of privileges is required for exploitation.

How do I fix or remediate CVE-2019-16764?

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-2019-16764?

CyberStrike is an open-source, AI-augmented pentesting engine. Rather than flag a version number, it tests whether an issue like CVE-2019-16764 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.

Related MEDIUM CVEs from 2019

View all
Browse by year2026202520242023202220212020201920182017201620152014201320122011201020092008200720062005200420032002200120001999