Apport reads arbitrary files if ~/.config/apport/settings is a symlink
Priority LOW 34CWE-59Published · Updated
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA.
Summary
Kevin Backhouse discovered that apport would read a user-supplied configuration file with elevated privileges. By replacing the file with a symbolic link, a user could get apport to read any file on the system as root, with unknown consequences.
Why it matters now
EPSS 0.00453 39th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Fixed apport (Canonical): 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.29+esm2, 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.20, 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.8 +1
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canonical | apport | 2.14.1 to before 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.29+esm2; 2.20.1 to before 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.20; 2.20.9 to before 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.8; 2.20.11 to before 2.20.11-0ubuntu8.1 | 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.29+esm2, 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.20, 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.8, 2.20.11-0ubuntu8.1 | Patch available | CNA |
- apport VendorCanonical Affected 2.14.1 to before 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.29+esm2; 2.20.1 to before 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.20; 2.20.9 to before 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.8; 2.20.11 to before 2.20.11-0ubuntu8.1 Fixed in 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.29+esm2, 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.20, 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.8, 2.20.11-0ubuntu8.1 Patch available CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 6
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:14.04:*:*:*:esm:*:*:* | 14.04 | Vulnerable | Canonical |
| cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:16.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:* | 16.04 | Vulnerable | Canonical |
| cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:18.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:* | 18.04 | Vulnerable | Canonical |
| cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:19.04:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 19.04 | Vulnerable | Canonical |
| cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:19.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 19.10 | Vulnerable | Canonical |
| cpe:2.3:a:apport_project:apport:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | not specified by NVD | Vulnerable | Apport Project |
- cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:14.04:*:*:*:esm:*:*:* Versions 14.04 Vulnerable ·Canonical
- cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:16.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:* Versions 16.04 Vulnerable ·Canonical
- cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:18.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:* Versions 18.04 Vulnerable ·Canonical
- cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:19.04:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 19.04 Vulnerable ·Canonical
- cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:19.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 19.10 Vulnerable ·Canonical
- cpe:2.3:a:apport_project:apport:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions not specified by NVD Vulnerable ·Apport Project
Remediation
- Fix · CNA apport (Canonical) Fixed in 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.29+esm2, 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.20, 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.8, 2.20.11-0ubuntu8.1
Fixed in the same release
Records fixed by the same vendor advisory or release, as the CNA lists them.
- Release ·
Canonical apport 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.29+esm2, 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.20 and 2 more versions
4 records Highest priority Priority LOW 4 LOW
Other records, highest priority first
- TI-2019-08575 Sander Bos discovered Apport mishandled crash dumps originating from containers.Priority LOW 31
- TI-2019-08574 Race condition between reading current working directory and writing a core dumpPriority LOW 21
- TI-2019-08577 apport created lock file in wrong directoryPriority LOW 16
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2019-11481
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-7hrm-rprg-v656
References
More Canonical Ubuntu Linux vulnerabilities
- TI-2020-09349 An issue was discovered in SaltStack Salt before 2019.2.4 and 3000 before 3000.2. KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2020-05854 smtp_mailaddr in smtp_session.c in OpenSMTPD 6.6, as used in OpenBSD 6.6 and other… KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2020-01431 Netlogon Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 10.0
- TI-2019-12627 Exim 4.92 through 4.92.2 allows remote code execution, a different vulnerability than… KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2019-08259 Underflow in PHP-FPM can lead to RCE KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2019-07471 OS command injection in exim KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
Sources
- CVE-2019-11481 · CVE Program
- CVE-2019-11481 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-7hrm-rprg-v656 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
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