`CVE-2019-13272`

Severity	7.8 High CVSS 3.1 3 scores
Published	17 Jul 2019
Updated	17 Jun 2026

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.

Exploitation status

Exploited

Confirmed real-world exploitation.

CISA KEV listed Confirmed exploitation in the wild. Added 2021-12-10 · remediation due 2022-06-10 · ransomware use: unknown
VulnCheck KEV listed Exploitation reported in the wild. 8 citations · 12 exploits · earliest 2021-12-10.
CISA Vulnrichment exploitation: active CISA records active exploitation. Automatable: no, technical impact: total.
Indexed PoC 17 indexed Published artifacts you can open, in Exploit-DB, GitHub PoC, Metasploit; first seen 2019-07-17.
EPSS 52% chance in 30 days A model's forecast, not a report of exploitation. Higher than 99% of all scored CVEs.

VulnCheck KEV

Exploitation evidence from VulnCheck Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (VulnCheck KEV), used under VulnCheck's community terms. View CVE-2019-13272 in VulnCheck (free account), which lists 3 more citations and 7 more exploit references not shown here.

Evidence	Source	Detail	Date
Reported exploitation	cisa.gov	/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json	2021-12-10
Reported exploitation	ptsecurity.com	/ru-ru/research/pt-esc-threat-intelligence/ex-cobalt-go-red-tehnika-skrytogo-tunnelya	2024-06-06
Reported exploitation	ptsecurity.com	/ww-en/analytics/pt-esc-threat-intelligence/excobalt-gored-the-hidden-tunnel-technique	2024-06-19
Reported exploitation	securelist.com	/vulnerabilities-and-exploits-in-q1-2025/116624	2025-05-30
Reported exploitation	securelist.com	/vulnerabilities-and-exploits-in-q2-2025/117333	2025-08-27
Exploit reference	VulnCheck XDB 72cbc61fa5c1	Exploit type: local	2019-07-31
Exploit reference	VulnCheck XDB 94bf994e3e35	Exploit type: local	2019-07-31
Exploit reference	VulnCheck XDB 7500952732c6	Exploit type: local	2019-08-07
Exploit reference	VulnCheck XDB 5581a09e1c77	Exploit type: local	2020-03-05
Exploit reference	VulnCheck XDB 1df2059c8c67	Exploit type: local	2021-03-30

Evidence

Source

Detail

Date

Reported exploitation

cisa.gov

/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json

2021-12-10

Reported exploitation

ptsecurity.com

/ru-ru/research/pt-esc-threat-intelligence/ex-cobalt-go-red-tehnika-skrytogo-tunnelya

2024-06-06

Reported exploitation

ptsecurity.com

/ww-en/analytics/pt-esc-threat-intelligence/excobalt-gored-the-hidden-tunnel-technique

2024-06-19

Reported exploitation

securelist.com

/vulnerabilities-and-exploits-in-q1-2025/116624

2025-05-30

Reported exploitation

securelist.com

/vulnerabilities-and-exploits-in-q2-2025/117333

2025-08-27

Exploit reference

VulnCheck XDB 72cbc61fa5c1

Exploit type: local

2019-07-31

Exploit reference

VulnCheck XDB 94bf994e3e35

Exploit type: local

2019-07-31

Exploit reference

VulnCheck XDB 7500952732c6

Exploit type: local

2019-08-07

Exploit reference

VulnCheck XDB 5581a09e1c77

Exploit type: local

2020-03-05

Exploit reference

VulnCheck XDB 1df2059c8c67

Exploit type: local

2021-03-30

3 of these are GitHub repositories with fewer than 5 stars. They are listed for reference and don't count toward the exploitation status above.

Index	Artifact	Stars	First seen
GitHub PoC	Linux 4.10 < 5.1.17 PTRACE_TRACEME local root	333	2019-07-31
Exploit-DB	Linux Kernel 5.1.x - 'PTRACE_TRACEME' pkexec Local Privilege Escalation (2)		2021-11-23
Metasploit	Linux Polkit pkexec helper PTRACE_TRACEME local root exploit (excellent rank)
GitHub PoC	The exploit for CVE-2019-13272	5	2019-07-31
Exploit-DB	Linux Polkit - pkexec helper PTRACE_TRACEME local root (Metasploit)		2019-10-24
GitHub PoC	linux 提权	4	2019-08-07
Exploit-DB	Linux Kernel 4.10 < 5.1.17 - 'PTRACE_TRACEME' pkexec Local Privilege Escalation		2019-07-24
GitHub PoC	This is a Python 3 version of this exploit. Hope it works!!!	3	2024-06-20
Exploit-DB	Linux - Broken Permission and Object Lifetime Handling for PTRACE_TRACEME		2019-07-17
GitHub PoC	Local Root vulnerability- CVE-2019-13272 / Security Bypass Vulnerability – CVE-2019-14287/Google Android - 'Stagefright' Remote Code Execution - CVE-2015-1538	3	2020-05-12

Waratek protection

Outside Waratek scope

A Java vulnerability, but not one Waratek protects. It affects only Java on a user's desktop (applets, Web Start, JavaFX, the installer), sits in a product the Waratek agent can't be installed into, or is in a package we don't expect in business applications. The decision below says which.

Protection none
Action not pursued none
Review human Researcher
Record active

Decided by	Manual classification of this CVE in the legacy dataset
Finding	A manual classification set this CVE's status to Outside Waratek scope, but the CVE names a tracked product.

Decided by

Manual classification of this CVE in the legacy dataset

Finding

A manual classification set this CVE's status to Outside Waratek scope, but the CVE names a tracked product.

CVSS

7.8 HIGH v3.1 CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H 3 metrics

We show the highest score from the newest CVSS version. Scores from different versions can't be compared, and the first score listed is sometimes a 0.0 placeholder.

Version Score Band Vector Assigner Type

CVSS 3.1 7.8 HIGH CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H NVD Primary published

CVSS 3.1 7.8 HIGH CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H CISA-ADP Secondary

CVSS 2.0 7.2 none AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C NVD Primary

Version	Score	Band	Vector	Assigner	Type
CVSS 3.1	7.8	HIGH	`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`	NVD	Primary	published
CVSS 3.1	7.8	HIGH	`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`	CISA-ADP	Secondary
CVSS 2.0	7.2	none	`AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C`	NVD	Primary

Affected software and releases

Products and versions

22 products, 40 version entries

Source	Vendor	Product	Scheme	Affected versions
nvd	canonical	ubuntu linux	generic	16.04 · 18.04 · 19.04
nvd	debian	debian linux	generic	8.0 · 9.0 · 10.0
nvd	fedoraproject	fedora	generic	29
nvd	linux	linux kernel	generic	≥ 3.16.52 and ＜ 3.16.71 · ≥ 4.1.39 and ＜ 4.2 · ≥ 4.4.40 and ＜ 4.4.185 · ≥ 4.8.16 and ＜ 4.9 · ≥ 4.9.1 and ＜ 4.9.185 · ≥ 4.10 and ＜ 4.14.133 · ≥ 4.15 and ＜ 4.19.58 · ≥ 4.20 and ＜ 5.1.17
nvd	netapp	active iq unified manager	generic	any version
nvd	netapp	aff a700s firmware	generic	any version
nvd	netapp	e-series performance analyzer	generic	any version
nvd	netapp	e-series santricity os controller	generic	≥ 11.0.0 and ≤ 11.60.3
nvd	netapp	h410c firmware	generic	any version
nvd	netapp	h610s firmware	generic	any version
nvd	netapp	hci compute node	generic	any version
nvd	netapp	hci management node	generic	any version
nvd	netapp	service processor	generic	any version
nvd	netapp	solidfire	generic	any version
nvd	netapp	steelstore cloud integrated storage	generic	any version
nvd	redhat	enterprise linux	generic	7.0 · 8.0
nvd	redhat	enterprise linux for arm 64	generic	7.0_aarch64
nvd	redhat	enterprise linux for ibm z systems	generic	7.0_s390x
nvd	redhat	enterprise linux for real time	generic	8
nvd	redhat	enterprise linux for real time for nfv	generic	8.0
nvd	redhat	enterprise linux for real time for nfv tus	generic	8.2 · 8.4 · 8.6 · 8.8
nvd	redhat	enterprise linux for real time tus	generic	8.2 · 8.4 · 8.6 · 8.8

Source

Vendor

Product

Scheme

Affected versions

nvd

canonical

ubuntu linux

generic

16.04 · 18.04 · 19.04

nvd

debian

debian linux

generic

8.0 · 9.0 · 10.0

nvd

fedoraproject

fedora

generic

nvd

linux

linux kernel

generic

≥ 3.16.52 and ＜ 3.16.71 · ≥ 4.1.39 and ＜ 4.2 · ≥ 4.4.40 and ＜ 4.4.185 · ≥ 4.8.16 and ＜ 4.9 · ≥ 4.9.1 and ＜ 4.9.185 · ≥ 4.10 and ＜ 4.14.133 · ≥ 4.15 and ＜ 4.19.58 · ≥ 4.20 and ＜ 5.1.17

nvd

netapp

active iq unified manager

generic

any version

nvd

netapp

aff a700s firmware

generic

any version

nvd

netapp

e-series performance analyzer

generic

any version

nvd

netapp

e-series santricity os controller

generic

≥ 11.0.0 and ≤ 11.60.3

nvd

netapp

h410c firmware

generic

any version

nvd

netapp

h610s firmware

generic

any version

nvd

netapp

hci compute node

generic

any version

nvd

netapp

hci management node

generic

any version

nvd

netapp

service processor

generic

any version

nvd

netapp

solidfire

generic

any version

nvd

netapp

steelstore cloud integrated storage

generic

any version

nvd

redhat

enterprise linux

generic

7.0 · 8.0

nvd

redhat

enterprise linux for arm 64

generic

7.0_aarch64

nvd

redhat

enterprise linux for ibm z systems

generic

7.0_s390x

nvd

redhat

enterprise linux for real time

generic

nvd

redhat

enterprise linux for real time for nfv

generic

8.0

nvd

redhat

enterprise linux for real time for nfv tus

generic

8.2 · 8.4 · 8.6 · 8.8

nvd

redhat

enterprise linux for real time tus

generic

8.2 · 8.4 · 8.6 · 8.8

References

URL	Tags
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/153663/Linux-PTRACE_TRACEME-Broken-Permission-Object-Lifetime-Handling.html	Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/153702/Slackware-Security-Advisory-Slackware-14.2-kernel-Updates.html	Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/154245/Kernel-Live-Patch-Security-Notice-LSN-0054-1.html	Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/154957/Linux-Polkit-pkexec-Helper-PTRACE_TRACEME-Local-Root.html	Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/156929/Linux-PTRACE_TRACEME-Local-Root.html	Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/165051/Linux-Kernel-5.1.x-PTRACE_TRACEME-pkexec-Local-Privilege-Escalation.html	Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:2405	Third Party Advisory
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:2411	Third Party Advisory
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:2809	Third Party Advisory
https://bugs.chromium.org/p/project-zero/issues/detail?id=1903	Exploit, Issue Tracking, Patch, Third Party Advisory

URL

Timeline

Published	2019-07-17	By the CVE Program.
Added to CISA KEV	2021-12-10	Listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.
VulnCheck KEV: earliest evidence	2021-12-10	Date of the oldest evidence of exploitation in VulnCheck KEV's record. VulnCheck does not publish the date it listed the CVE.
NVD record modified	2026-06-17	NVD's own last-modified date for this record.
VulnCheck KEV: latest evidence	2026-08-26	Date of the newest report, exploit reference or honeypot sighting in VulnCheck KEV's record.

Published

2019-07-17

By the CVE Program.

Added to CISA KEV

2021-12-10

Listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.

VulnCheck KEV: earliest evidence

2021-12-10

Date of the oldest evidence of exploitation in VulnCheck KEV's record. VulnCheck does not publish the date it listed the CVE.

NVD record modified

2026-06-17

NVD's own last-modified date for this record.

VulnCheck KEV: latest evidence

2026-08-26

Date of the newest report, exploit reference or honeypot sighting in VulnCheck KEV's record.

How VRT decided (5 of 24 rules ran)

5 of 24 rules ran. The rest didn't run because an earlier rule had already settled the CVE.

# Rule Outcome Status Detail

identity: Does this identifier describe a vulnerability at all? the first rule that matches decides

1 rejected no match CVE Program withdrawal of this identifier

scope: Is it a vulnerability Waratek protects? the first rule that matches decides

2 armr-patch-file no match An ARMR patch file on disk for this CVE

3 armr-secure-rule-file no match An ARMR security-rule template on disk for this CVE

4 manual-classification no match A researcher's recorded decision for this specific CVE

5 manual classification decided it matched Outside Waratek scope Found in legacy manual classifications

6 non-java-upstream not reached A root cause in non-Java code: an OS kernel, a C library, or a bundled runtime

7 oracle-component not reached The defect being in a component of a tracked product the agent does not reach: JavaFX, the Java SE installer, the JInitiator browser plug-in, the native WebLogic proxy plug-in, or a native part of Oracle Application Server or Collaboration Suite (HTTP Server, Web Cache, Internet Directory, mail and calendar servers). Oracle gives these no CPE of their own and names them only in the description.

8 java-client-side not reached Oracle's own risk-matrix note saying the CVE is reached only through untrusted code in the Java sandbox (applets, Web Start) or only through a client installation of Java, so a server running its own trusted code is not exposed

9 osv-maven not reached An OSV.dev record of this CVE affecting a package published to Maven Central. When every such package is one business applications do not use (Minecraft mods and launchers, Fastjson) and no tracked product is named by CPE, it settles the CVE as Outside Waratek scope instead

10 cna-maven-package not reached An affected Maven artifact named by the CNA itself

11 known-cpe-product not reached An NVD CPE naming a product ARMR tracks

12 cna-cpe-product not reached A CPE the CNA published naming a tracked product. Oracle publishes these on advisory day, months before NVD.

13 oracle-advisory-family not reached A tracked product family named in Oracle's own risk matrix. CPE cannot carry a suite name, only a module.

14 cna-named-product not reached A tracked product named in words by the CVE's own CNA, on a record with no CPE yet. Apache and Eclipse publish these on advisory day, before NVD adds CPE data.

15 non-deployable-product not reached The only affected product being a sealed appliance image, where Java runs but no -javaagent can be attached

16 unmatched-product not reached No tracked product matched above, and none present at all

disposition: What do we do about one that is? every rule runs

17 patch-hint not reached A reference pointing at the upstream fix: a commit, a PR, a Red Hat bug

18 open-source-maven not reached The affected package being open source on Maven, so the fix can be read

19 poc-derivable not reached An indexed exploit clearing the evidence bar to reverse-engineer, where there is no source to read

20 no-exploit not reached Nothing to build a rule from yet: no published exploit, no CISA record of exploitation and no source-level change to read

21 secure-rule-match not reached A vulnerability class already blocked by an ARMR security rule

22 exploited-no-fix-or-poc not reached Somebody exploiting this CVE (a CISA or VulnCheck KEV listing, or a CISA verdict of active exploitation), with no fix, source code or PoC to build a rule from

23 below-action-threshold not reached Medium or Low severity, no CISA or VulnCheck KEV listing, no PoC clearing the evidence bar, no CISA verdict, no Oracle advisory

24 no-exploit-published not reached Exploit code for this candidate, published in a reviewed catalogue or a GitHub repository with 5 or more stars, or in use per CISA or VulnCheck; not only a CISA verdict, a forecast, or nothing at all

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