{"id":"CVE-2019-13272","kind":"vulnerability","aliases":["CVE-2019-13272"],"related":[],"title":"Linux Kernel: Linux Kernel Improper Privilege Management Vulnerability","description":"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.","summary":"A flaw in the Linux kernel's ptrace code mishandles privileges, letting a local user gain root. An attacker with a shell on the machine can escalate to full root control.","severity":"high","cvss":7.8,"epss":0.52199,"exploited":true,"exploited_at":"2021-12-10T00:00:00+00:00","products":[{"name":"Linux Kernel","fixed":[],"affected":"","ecosystem":"vendor"}],"ecosystems":["vendor"],"tags":["exploited","infrastructure","kubernetes","linux","self-hosted"],"not_affected_if":["managed-hosting","patched-kernel"],"how_to_check":"uname -r","fix":"Update the Linux kernel to a vendor release that includes the fix for CVE-2019-13272, then reboot. Fixed version: unknown","status":"open","published_at":"2019-07-17T13:15:10+00:00","first_seen_at":"2026-10-23T19:11:53+00:00","triaged_at":"2026-10-23T21:31:51+00:00","updated_at":"2026-10-23T21:57:35+00:00","category":"infrastructure","confidence":0.6,"triage":{"at":"2026-10-23T21:31:51Z","model":"claude-haiku-5-5","output":{"fix":"Update the Linux kernel to a vendor release that includes the fix for CVE-2019-13272, then reboot. Fixed version: unknown","reach":"local","impact":"high","summary":"A flaw in the Linux kernel's ptrace code mishandles privileges, letting a local user gain root. An attacker with a shell on the machine can escalate to full root control.","category":"infrastructure","who_cares":["linux","self-hosted","kubernetes"],"confidence":0.6,"needs_auth":"yes","worst_case":"local user becomes root and takes full control of the machine","analyst_note":"Confirm fixed kernel versions and the ptrace condition that triggers it from the vendor advisories linked from the KEV entry; the sources give no version data.","how_to_check":"uname -r\nunknown","needs_analyst":true,"not_affected_if":["managed-hosting","patched-kernel"],"user_interaction":"no","needs_special_setup":"unknown","severity_if_unknown":"high"},"cost_usd":0.000455,"input_tokens":2824,"output_tokens":345,"severity_before":"unknown"},"analyst_status":null,"analyst_note":null,"search":"'-13272':11A,14A '-2019':10A,13A '5.1.17':60C 'access':88C 'allow':82C,109C 'also':124C 'anoth':128C 'attack':42B,113C 'call':106C 'caus':125C 'certain':91C 'child':97C 'code':32B 'contribut':115C,129C 'control':54B,110C 'creat':77C 'credenti':70C 'cve':9A,12A 'deni':155C 'drop':103C 'environ':164C 'escal':50B 'exampl':145C 'execv':107C 'exploit':17B,142C 'factor':116C,130C 'flaw':25B 'full':52B 'gain':39B 'helper':149C 'host':23B 'improp':5A 'incorrect':132C 'infrastructur':18B 'issu':121C 'kernel':2A,4A,16A,29B,58C 'kernel/ptrace.c':64C 'kubernet':19B 'let':35B 'leverag':90C 'lifetim':120C 'link':62C 'linux':1A,3A,15A,20B,28B,57C 'local':37B,83C 'machin':48B 'manag':7A 'mark':133C 'might':157C 'mishandl':33B,65C 'note':153C 'object':119C 'obtain':86C 'one':114C 'panic':127C 'parent':96C,102C 'parent-child':95C 'pkexec':148C 'polkit':146C 'potenti':108C 'privileg':6A,34B,104C,139C 'process':73C,98C 'ptrace':31B,61C,79C,136C,151C,156C 'record':67C 'relationship':80C,99C,137C 'root':40B,53B,87C 'scenario':92C 'self':22B 'self-host':21B 'selinux':154C 'shell':45B 'tracem':152C 'usabl':160C 'user':38B,84C 'vulner':8A 'want':75C 'workaround':161C","nicknames":[],"mitigations":[],"who_affected":null,"tier":null,"verified":{},"analyst_revisit_at":null,"first_public_at":"2019-07-17T13:15:10+00:00","kev":{"dateAdded":"2021-12-10","dueDate":"2022-06-10","requiredAction":"Apply updates per vendor instructions.","knownRansomwareCampaignUse":"Unknown"},"cvss_vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","cvss_by":"nvd@nist.gov","poc_count":0,"sources":[{"source":"kev","external_id":"CVE-2019-13272","url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?search_api_fulltext=CVE-2019-13272","severity":null,"published_at":"2021-12-10T00:00:00+00:00","modified_at":null,"first_seen_at":"2026-10-23T19:11:53+00:00","fetched_at":"2026-10-25T11:39:17+00:00","note":null},{"source":"epss","external_id":"CVE-2019-13272","url":"https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2019-13272","severity":null,"published_at":null,"modified_at":null,"first_seen_at":"2026-10-23T19:13:44+00:00","fetched_at":"2026-10-23T19:13:44+00:00","note":null},{"source":"nvd","external_id":"CVE-2019-13272","url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-13272","severity":null,"published_at":"2019-07-17T13:15:10+00:00","modified_at":"2026-06-17T02:16:26+00:00","first_seen_at":"2026-10-23T21:57:35+00:00","fetched_at":"2026-10-23T21:57:35+00:00","note":null}],"documents":[],"notice":"Free to read at a human pace. An API with keys and an MCP server are in preparation; early access: hello@infrastack.ai"}