CVE-2019-13272
Kernel/ptrace.c in Linux kernel mishandles contains an improper privilege management vulnerability that allows local users to obtain root access.
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.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H- packetstormsecurity.com/files/153663/Linux-PTRACE_TRACEME-Broken-Permission-Object-Lifetime-Handling.htmlThird Party AdvisoryVDB Entry
- packetstormsecurity.com/files/153702/Slackware-Security-Advisory-Slackware-14.2-kernel-Updates.htmlThird Party AdvisoryVDB Entry
- packetstormsecurity.com/files/154245/Kernel-Live-Patch-Security-Notice-LSN-0054-1.htmlExploitThird Party Advisory
- packetstormsecurity.com/files/154957/Linux-Polkit-pkexec-Helper-PTRACE_TRACEME-Local-Root.htmlExploitThird Party Advisory
- packetstormsecurity.com/files/156929/Linux-PTRACE_TRACEME-Local-Root.htmlExploitThird Party Advisory
- packetstormsecurity.com/files/165051/Linux-Kernel-5.1.x-PTRACE_TRACEME-pkexec-Local-Privilege-Escalation.htmlExploitThird Party Advisory
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:2405Third Party Advisory
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:2411Third Party Advisory
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:2809Third Party Advisory
- bugs.chromium.org/p/project-zero/issues/detail?id=1903ExploitIssue Tracking
- bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1730895Issue TrackingPatch
- bugzilla.suse.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1140671Issue TrackingPatch
Actively exploited. Patch immediately.
- Exploitation
- Confirmed in the wild (CISA KEV)
- Federal remediation deadline
- Overdue by 1599 days
- CVSS
- 7.8 HIGH
- EPSS (30-day exploit probability)
- 52.2% · top 1% of all CVEs
- Weakness
- NVD-CWE-noinfo
- 1.Apply updates per vendor instructions.
- 2.Treat as emergency change: patch or isolate internet-facing instances first.
- 3.Hunt for compromise: review logs for the disclosure window, not just from the patch date.
Assessment is derived automatically from the live signals above; verify against your own asset inventory.