CVE-2019-3901
4.7 · MEDIUMA race condition in perf_event_open() allows local attackers to leak sensitive data from setuid programs.
Overview
CVE-2019-3901 is a medium-severity vulnerability. It was published on April 22, 2019 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 4.7 (MEDIUM).
This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 4.7, rated MEDIUM. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. Some level of privileges is required for exploitation.
Technical description
A race condition in perf_event_open() allows local attackers to leak sensitive data from setuid programs. As no relevant locks (in particular the cred_guard_mutex) are held during the ptrace_may_access() call, it is possible for the specified target task to perform an execve() syscall with setuid execution before perf_event_alloc() actually attaches to it, allowing an attacker to bypass the ptrace_may_access() check and the perf_event_exit_task(current) call that is performed in install_exec_creds() during privileged execve() calls. This issue affects kernel versions before 4.8.
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
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Frequently asked questions
What is CVE-2019-3901?
CVE-2019-3901 is a medium-severity vulnerability. It was published on April 22, 2019 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 4.7 (MEDIUM).
How severe is CVE-2019-3901?
This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 4.7, rated MEDIUM. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. Some level of privileges is required for exploitation.
How do I fix or remediate CVE-2019-3901?
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-2019-3901?
CyberStrike is an open-source, AI-augmented pentesting engine. Rather than flag a version number, it tests whether an issue like CVE-2019-3901 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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