Updated: 2025-11-19 05:38:59.986792
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.
| Links | NIST | CIRCL | RHEL | Ubuntu |
| Severity | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| CVSS Version 2.x | HIGH | 7.2 |
| CVSS Version 3.x | HIGH | 7.8 |
| Added Date | Description | Due Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-12-10 | Kernel/ptrace.c in Linux kernel mishandles contains an improper privilege management vulnerability that allows local users to obtain root access. | 2022-06-10 | https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-13272 |
| OS name | Project name | Version | Score | Severity | Status | Errata | Last updated | Statement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CentOS 7 ELS | kernel | 3.10.0 | 7.8 | HIGH | Not Vulnerable | 2023-11-02 09:35:36 | ||
| CentOS 8.4 ELS | kernel | 4.18.0 | 7.8 | HIGH | Already Fixed | 2024-06-11 14:47:10 | ||
| CentOS 8.5 ELS | kernel | 4.18.0 | 7.8 | HIGH | Already Fixed | 2024-06-11 14:45:45 | ||
| CentOS Stream 8 ELS | kernel | 4.18.0 | 7.8 | HIGH | Already Fixed | 2024-06-11 14:21:06 | ||
| CloudLinux 7 ELS | kernel | 3.10.0 | 7.8 | HIGH | Ignored | 2025-01-10 22:43:55 | CL7 support is limited | |
| Oracle Linux 7 ELS | kernel | 3.10.0 | 7.8 | HIGH | Not Vulnerable | 2025-05-11 04:36:23 | ||
| Oracle Linux 7 ELS | kernel-uek | 5.4.17 | 7.8 | HIGH | Needs Triage | 2025-11-19 08:36:28 | ||
| RHEL 7 ELS | kernel | 3.10.0 | 7.8 | HIGH | Not Vulnerable | 2025-05-28 00:26:08 | ||
| Ubuntu 16.04 ELS | linux-hwe | 4.15.0 | 7.8 | HIGH | Already Fixed | 2022-09-28 08:02:28 | ||
| Ubuntu 16.04 ELS | linux | 4.4.0 | 7.8 | HIGH | Not Vulnerable | 2021-12-17 05:55:04 |