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Vulnerabilities

Vulnerability · CVE-2019-13272

Linux Kernel Improper Privilege Management Vulnerability

Published Jul 17, 2019 · catalog updated Jun 16, 2026 · Linux Kernel

Patch now

CVE-2019-13272 is in the CISA known-exploited catalog, due Jun 10, 2022. Confirm Linux Kernel against the vendor advisory and apply that fix. The CVSS score does not change the priority.

Severity
High7.8
Known exploitation
CISA KEV and VulnCheck KEV
EPSS
52.20%
Remediation
Remediation guidance
Affected products
cpe canonical/ubuntu linux · cpe debian/debian linux · cpe fedoraproject/fedora · cpe linux/linux kernel · cpe redhat/enterprise linux · vendor Linux Kernel

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.

Are you affected?

Enter the version you run. The result uses only the ranges stored on this record.

The check returns affected, not affected, or incomplete. It does not guess a version that is missing from the record.

  • cpe canonical/ubuntu linux16.04
  • cpe debian/debian linux8.0
  • cpe fedoraproject/fedora29
  • cpe linux/linux kernelversion unspecified
  • cpe redhat/enterprise linux7.0
  • vendor Linux Kernelversion unspecified

How to fix CVE-2019-13272

What to do

Three questions, each answered from this record only. Confirm the vendor advisory before you patch.

Should you patch?

CVE-2019-13272 is in the CISA known-exploited catalog, due Jun 10, 2022. Confirm Linux Kernel against the vendor advisory and apply that fix. The CVSS score does not change the priority.

Which versions are affected?

Compare what you have installed with canonical/ubuntu linux 16.04; debian/debian linux 8.0; redhat/enterprise linux 7.0. Apply updates per vendor instructions.

What should an analyst verify?

CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management. EPSS 52.20%. The CISA KEV listing is the exploitation evidence. A public exploit reference is linked in Sources. That is not the same as confirmed exploitation. Use the source links for the original advisory.

Code

The project this record applies to. Exploit listings stay in References.

Timeline

Detection, updates, and resolution for this record.

  1. Jul 17, 2019 · Catalog

    Detected

    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

  2. Dec 10, 2021 · CISA KEV

    Known exploited

    Apply updates per vendor instructions.

  3. Jun 10, 2022 · CISA KEV

    Remediation due

    Apply updates per vendor instructions.

  4. Jun 16, 2026 · Catalog

    Updated

    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

Sources

  • CISA KEVConfirmed exploitationCVE-2019-13272

    Kernel/ptrace.c in Linux kernel mishandles contains an improper privilege management vulnerability that allows local users to obtain root access.

    cisa.gov
  • CVE.orgVulnerability recordCVE-2019-13272

    Official CVE identifier

    cve.org
  • FIRST EPSSExploitation probabilityCVE-2019-13272

    30-day exploitation probability 52.2%

    first.org
  • Exploit DatabasePublic exploit reference47133

    Public archive entry. The exploit body is not stored here.

    exploit-db.com
  • Exploit DatabasePublic exploit reference47163

    Public archive entry. The exploit body is not stored here.

    exploit-db.com
  • Exploit DatabasePublic exploit reference50541

    Public archive entry. The exploit body is not stored here.

    exploit-db.com
  • Metasploit ModulesPublic exploit moduleexploit_linux/local/ptrace_traceme_pkexec_helper

    Public module reference (excellent). Module source is not copied into this catalog.

    rapid7.com
  • NIST NVDVulnerability recordCVE-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 relati

    nvd.nist.gov
  • Packet Storm SecurityCited referencehttp://packetstormsecurity.com/files/153663/Linux-PTRACE_TRACEME-Broken-Permission-Object-Lifetime-Handling.html

    Packet Storm link already published on the finding.

    packetstormsecurity.com
  • Packet Storm SecurityCited referencehttp://packetstormsecurity.com/files/153702/Slackware-Security-Advisory-Slackware-14.2-kernel-Updates.html

    Packet Storm link already published on the finding.

    packetstormsecurity.com
  • Packet Storm SecurityCited referencehttp://packetstormsecurity.com/files/154245/Kernel-Live-Patch-Security-Notice-LSN-0054-1.html

    Packet Storm link already published on the finding.

    packetstormsecurity.com
  • Packet Storm SecurityCited referencehttp://packetstormsecurity.com/files/154957/Linux-Polkit-pkexec-Helper-PTRACE_TRACEME-Local-Root.html

    Packet Storm link already published on the finding.

    packetstormsecurity.com
  • VulnCheck KEVConfirmed exploitationCVE-2019-13272

    Kernel/ptrace.c in Linux kernel mishandles contains an improper privilege management vulnerability that allows local users to obtain root access.

    vulncheck.com

References

Freshness

Last verified in this catalog Oct 17, 2026. Significant claims (KEV, EPSS, CVSS, affected ranges) come from the source rows above — open the original publisher for the authoritative advisory.