TI-2019-11861 Aliases CVE-2019-15790 GHSA-mv59-w8cf-g9q7

Apport reads PID files with elevated privileges

LOW 17CWE-250Published 2020-04-27 · Updated 2025-11-03

Key facts

Attack vector: Local
Privileges required: Low
User interaction: None
Attack complexity: Low
Impact type: Privilege escalation
Confidentiality · integrity · availability: Low · None · None
Fix status: Fixed

Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-250.

Summary

Apport reads and writes information on a crashed process to /proc/pid with elevated privileges. Apport then determines which user the crashed process belongs to by reading /proc/pid through get_pid_info() in data/apport. An unprivileged user could exploit this to read information about a privileged running process by exploiting PID recycling. This information could then be used to obtain ASLR offsets for a process with an existing memory corruption vulnerability. The initial fix introduced regressions in the Python Apport library due to a missing argument in Report.add_proc_environ in apport/report.py. It also caused an autopkgtest failure when reading /proc/pid and with Python 2 compatibility by reading /proc maps. The initial and subsequent regression fixes are in 2.20.11-0ubuntu16, 2.20.11-0ubuntu8.6, 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.12, 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.22 and 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.29+esm3.

Why it matters now

EPSS 0.00523 44th percentileScored 2026-11-07

Public exploit Yes 3 exploit referencesTagged by NVD

Fix Fixed Apport (Canonical): 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.29+esm3, 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.22, 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.12 +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+esm3; 2.20.1 to before 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.22; 2.20.9 to before 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.12; 2.20.11 to before 2.20.11-0ubuntu8.6	2.14.1-0ubuntu3.29+esm3, 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.22, 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.12, 2.20.11-0ubuntu8.6	Patch available	CNA

Apport VendorCanonical Affected 2.14.1 to before 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.29+esm3; 2.20.1 to before 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.22; 2.20.9 to before 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.12; 2.20.11 to before 2.20.11-0ubuntu8.6 Fixed in 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.29+esm3, 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.22, 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.12, 2.20.11-0ubuntu8.6 Patch available CNA

CPE configurations NVD · 6

CPE	Versions	Role	Vendor
cpe:2.3:a:apport_project:apport:-:::::::*	not specified by NVD	Vulnerable	Apport Project
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:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 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

Remediation

Fix · CNA Apport (Canonical) Fixed in 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.29+esm3, 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.22, 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.12, 2.20.11-0ubuntu8.6

Timeline

2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2019-15790
2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-mv59-w8cf-g9q7

References

Exploit 3

Advisory 6

Other 1

http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/172858/Ubuntu-Apport-Whoopsie-DoS-Integer-Overflow.html

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

See all 4120 →

Sources

This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences