Windows builds with insecure path defaults
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Spoofing
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · Low · None
- Fix status
- No fix listed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.0 · NVD. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-295.
Summary
OpenSSL has internal defaults for a directory tree where it can find a configuration file as well as certificates used for verification in TLS. This directory is most commonly referred to as OPENSSLDIR, and is configurable with the --prefix / --openssldir configuration options. For OpenSSL versions 1.1.0 and 1.1.1, the mingw configuration targets assume that resulting programs and libraries are installed in a Unix-like environment and the default prefix for program installation as well as for OPENSSLDIR should be '/usr/local'. However, mingw programs are Windows programs, and as such, find themselves looking at sub-directories of 'C:/usr/local', which may be world writable, which enables untrusted users to modify OpenSSL's default configuration, insert CA certificates, modify (or even replace) existing engine modules, etc. For OpenSSL 1.0.2, '/usr/local/ssl' is used as default for OPENSSLDIR on all Unix and Windows targets, including Visual C builds. However, some build instructions for the diverse Windows targets on 1.0.2 encourage you to specify your own --prefix. OpenSSL versions 1.1.1, 1.1.0 and 1.0.2 are affected by this issue. Due to the limited scope of affected deployments this has been assessed as low severity and therefore we are not creating new releases at this time. Fixed in OpenSSL 1.1.1d (Affected 1.1.1-1.1.1c). Fixed in OpenSSL 1.1.0l (Affected 1.1.0-1.1.0k). Fixed in OpenSSL 1.0.2t (Affected 1.0.2-1.0.2s).
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Partial
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenSSL | OpenSSL | Fixed in OpenSSL 1.1.1d (Affected 1.1.1-1.1.1c); Fixed in OpenSSL 1.1.0l (Affected 1.1.0-1.1.0k); Fixed in OpenSSL 1.0.2t (Affected 1.0.2-1.0.2s) | — | No fix listed | CNA |
- OpenSSL VendorOpenSSL Affected Fixed in OpenSSL 1.1.1d (Affected 1.1.1-1.1.1c); Fixed in OpenSSL 1.1.0l (Affected 1.1.0-1.1.0k); Fixed in OpenSSL 1.0.2t (Affected 1.0.2-1.0.2s) Fixed in — No fix listed CNA
Remediation
No fixed version listed by the sources yet.
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Low. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
Not affected: 10 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
- Red Hat JBoss Core Services
- Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 5
- Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 6
- Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Web Server 2
- Red Hat JBoss Web Server 3
- Red Hat JBoss Web Server 5
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2019-1552
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-f22q-2wx9-9qgh
- 2026-11-02 CISA SSVC decision points changed
References
Advisory 5
Other 16
- https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuapr2020.html
- https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujul2020.html
- https://www.oracle.com/technetwork/security-advisory/cpuoct2019-5072832.html
- https://www.tenable.com/security/tns-2019-08
- https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujan2020.html
- https://www.tenable.com/security/tns-2019-09
- https://git.openssl.org/gitweb/?p=openssl.git%3Ba=commitdiff%3Bh=54aa9d51b09d67e90db443f682cface795f5af9e
- https://git.openssl.org/gitweb/?p=openssl.git%3Ba=commitdiff%3Bh=e32bc855a81a2d48d215c506bdeb4f598045f7e9
- https://git.openssl.org/gitweb/?p=openssl.git%3Ba=commitdiff%3Bh=b15a19c148384e73338aa7c5b12652138e35ed28
- https://git.openssl.org/gitweb/?p=openssl.git%3Ba=commitdiff%3Bh=d333ebaf9c77332754a9d5e111e2f53e1de54fdd
- https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20190823-0006/
- https://support.f5.com/csp/article/K94041354
- https://support.f5.com/csp/article/K94041354?utm_source=f5support&%3Butm_medium=RSS
- https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuoct2020.html
- https://kc.mcafee.com/corporate/index?page=content&id=SB10365
- https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/pdf/ssa-412672.pdf
More Openssl vulnerabilities
- TI-2022-01915 The c_rehash script allows command injection CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2021-02645 SM2 Decryption Buffer Overflow CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2009-03392 The TLS protocol, and the SSL protocol 3.0 and possibly earlier, as used in Microsoft… CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2022-01176 The c_rehash script allows command injection CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2014-00154 The (1) TLS and (2) DTLS implementations in OpenSSL 1.0.1 before 1.0.1g do not properly… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 7.5
- TI-2025-14107 Stack buffer overflow in CMS (Auth)EnvelopedData parsing CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
Sources
- CVE-2019-1552 · CVE Program
- CVE-2019-1552 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-f22q-2wx9-9qgh · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2019-1552 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences