# CVE-2019-13272

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.

- Page: https://www.vulneraibility.com/cve/CVE-2019-13272
- CVSS: 7.8
- Known exploited: yes, in CISA KEV since 2021-12-10; CISA due date 2022-06-10
- EPSS: 52.20% (percentile 99.0)
- Public exploit code: 4 on Exploit-DB · 1 Metasploit module · 19 GitHub proofs of concept (first 2019-07-17)
- CISA SSVC: exploitation active, automatable no, technical impact total (assessed 2025-02-04)
- Published: 2019-07-17

## Affected

- linux:linux_kernel
- debian:debian_linux
- fedoraproject:fedora
- canonical:ubuntu_linux
- redhat:enterprise_linux
- redhat:enterprise_linux_for_arm_64
- redhat:enterprise_linux_for_ibm_z_systems
- redhat:enterprise_linux_for_real_time
- redhat:enterprise_linux_for_real_time_for_nfv
- redhat:enterprise_linux_for_real_time_for_nfv_tus
- redhat:enterprise_linux_for_real_time_tus
- netapp:aff_a700s_firmware
- netapp:h410c_firmware
- netapp:h610s_firmware
- netapp:active_iq_unified_manager
- netapp:e-series_performance_analyzer
- netapp:e-series_santricity_os_controller
- netapp:hci_management_node
- netapp:service_processor
- netapp:solidfire
- netapp:steelstore_cloud_integrated_storage
- netapp:hci_compute_node

## References

- [other] http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/153663/Linux-PTRACE_TRACEME-Broken-Permission-Object-Lifetime-Handling.html
- [other] https://bugs.chromium.org/p/project-zero/issues/detail?id=1903
- [other] https://cdn.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v5.x/ChangeLog-5.1.17
- [other] https://github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/6994eefb0053799d2e07cd140df6c2ea106c41ee
- [other] https://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=6994eefb0053799d2e07cd140df6c2ea106c41ee
- [other] https://bugzilla.suse.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1140671
- [other] https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1730895
- [advisory] https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/OGRK5LYWBJ4E4SRI4DKX367NHYSI3VOH/
- [advisory] https://www.debian.org/security/2019/dsa-4484
- [other] https://seclists.org/bugtraq/2019/Jul/30
- [other] https://seclists.org/bugtraq/2019/Jul/33
- [other] https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2019/07/msg00022.html
- [other] https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2019/07/msg00023.html
- [other] http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/153702/Slackware-Security-Advisory-Slackware-14.2-kernel-Updates.html
- [other] https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20190806-0001/
- [advisory] https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:2405
- [advisory] https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:2411
- [advisory] https://usn.ubuntu.com/4093-1/
- [advisory] https://usn.ubuntu.com/4094-1/
- [advisory] https://usn.ubuntu.com/4095-1/
- [other] http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/154245/Kernel-Live-Patch-Security-Notice-LSN-0054-1.html
- [other] https://support.f5.com/csp/article/K91025336
- [advisory] https://usn.ubuntu.com/4117-1/
- [advisory] https://usn.ubuntu.com/4118-1/
- [advisory] https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:2809
- [other] https://support.f5.com/csp/article/K91025336?utm_source=f5support&amp%3Butm_medium=RSS
- [other] http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/154957/Linux-Polkit-pkexec-Helper-PTRACE_TRACEME-Local-Root.html
- [other] http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/156929/Linux-PTRACE_TRACEME-Local-Root.html
- [other] http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/165051/Linux-Kernel-5.1.x-PTRACE_TRACEME-pkexec-Local-Privilege-Escalation.html
- [other] https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2019-13272

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Summary, impact and action are written by the vulneraibility.com AI analysis pipeline from the CVE record, NVD, CISA and FIRST data; verify against the references.