Linux Kernel Improper Privilege Management Vulnerability
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…
Severity = CVSS. Probability = EPSS (FIRST). Exploitation = public signals: KEV, EUVD, ransomware, EPSS above 10 %, no account required.
Exploitation probability EPSS · FIRST
Exploitation signals 3 / 5
- KEV catalog (CISA)10 Dec 2021
- Exploited in EUVD (ENISA)10 Dec 2021
- Used by ransomwareno
- EPSS above 10 %52.2%
- No account, over the networkno
What to do
Fix
Update to a fixed version: 4.19.37-6
CISA guidance: Apply updates per vendor instructions.
Meanwhile
Take the service off the internet or restrict access to it, watch the logs and look for signs of compromise.
Manufacturers (CRA)
Exploited vulnerability in your product: early warning to ENISA within 24 h, then notification within 72 h (Article 14 of the Cyber Resilience Act). The CRA explained
Description ENISA EUVD
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.
Affected products
Open source packages OSV
- linuxDebian:12 · CVE-2019-13272fixed in 4.19.37-6
- linuxDebian:13 · CVE-2019-13272fixed in 4.19.37-6
Timeline
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Published
-
Exploitation reported (ENISA)
-
Added to the KEV catalog
-
CISA remediation due date
-
EPSS peak: 52.2%
References
- cve.org · CVE-2019-13272
- ENISA EUVD · EUVD-2019-4779
- CISA KEV
- FIRST EPSS
- packetstormsecurity.com
- bugs.chromium.org
- cdn.kernel.org
- github.com
- git.kernel.org
- bugzilla.suse.com
- bugzilla.redhat.com
- lists.fedoraproject.org
- debian.org
- seclists.org
- seclists.org
- lists.debian.org
- lists.debian.org
- packetstormsecurity.com
- security.netapp.com
- access.redhat.com
Other exploited vulnerabilities from the same vendor
- CVE-2026-46300Linux Kernel Missing Initialization of a Variable Vulnerability5.4 · Rising fast
- CVE-2026-53266Linux Kernel Out-of-Bounds Write Vulnerability4.7 · Actively exploited
- CVE-2025-39964Linux Kernel Race Condition Vulnerability4.4 · Actively exploited
- CVE-2025-39682Linux Kernel Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions Vulnerability5.8 · Actively exploited
- CVE-2026-53362Linux Kernel Unspecified Vulnerability4.3 · Actively exploited
- CVE-2022-0995Linux Kernel Out-of-Bounds Write Vulnerability4.6 · Actively exploited