CVE-2019-11481

Apport reads arbitrary files if ~/.config/apport/settings is a symlink

HIGH

7.8

CVSS Score

Published: February 8, 2020 at 04:50 AM UTC

Updated: June 17, 2026 at 02:12 AM UTC

2 products affected across 2 vendorsUbuntu LinuxApport

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Severity

HIGH7.8

Exploit prediction

EPSS 0.5%

Description

Kevin Backhouse discovered that apport would read a user-supplied configuration file with elevated privileges. By replacing the file with a symbolic link, a user could get apport to read any file on the system as root, with unknown consequences.

Affected

Our own answer: ranges merged, affected separated from platform-only, with confidence and review flags.

Apport · Apport Project

95%

2.14.1 ≤ v < 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.29+esm22.20.1 ≤ v < 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.202.20.11 ≤ v < 2.20.11-0ubuntu8.12.20.9 ≤ v < 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.82.14.1 2.20.1 2.20.11 2.20.9

Affected range stops below 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.29+esm2, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement

Affected range stops below 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.20, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement

Affected range stops below 2.20.11-0ubuntu8.1, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement

Affected range stops below 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.8, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement

Ubuntu Linux · Canonicalrubygems

95%

14.04 16.04 18.04 19.04 19.10

Remediation

No guide yet

No remediation guidance has been written for this CVE yet, and no fixed version or vendor advisory is recorded against it.

References (3)

Source: [email protected]

http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/172858/Ubuntu-Apport-Whoopsie-DoS-Integer-Overflow.html

x_refsource_MISCThird Party Advisory

Source: [email protected]

https://usn.ubuntu.com/usn/usn-4171-1

x_refsource_MISCThird Party Advisory

Source: [email protected]

https://usn.ubuntu.com/usn/usn-4171-2

CVSS

7.8HIGH[email protected]

Attack Vector: LOCAL
Complexity: LOW
Privileges: LOW
User Interaction: NONE
Scope: UNCHANGED
Confidentiality: HIGH
Integrity: HIGH
Availability: HIGH

Vector?

Quick Info

StatusMODIFIED

CWE

CWE-59

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