CVE-2019-12578: A vulnerability in the London Trust Media Private Internet Access (PIA) VPN Client v82 for Linux could allow an authenticated, local attacker to run a...

Description

A vulnerability in the London Trust Media Private Internet Access (PIA) VPN Client v82 for Linux could allow an authenticated, local attacker to run arbitrary code with elevated privileges. The openvpn_launcher.64 binary is setuid root. This binary executes /opt/pia/openvpn-64/openvpn, passing the parameters provided from the command line. Care was taken to programmatically disable potentially dangerous openvpn parameters; however, the --route-pre-down parameter can be used. This parameter accepts an arbitrary path to a script/program to be executed when OpenVPN exits. The --script-security parameter also needs to be passed to allow for this action to be taken, and --script-security is not currently in the disabled parameter list. A local unprivileged user can pass a malicious script/binary to the --route-pre-down option, which will be executed as root when openvpn is stopped.

Metrics

EPSS Probability

0.81%

52.2th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-88

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Londontrustmedia	Private Internet Access Vpn Client	82

References

https://github.com/mirchr/security-research/blob/master/vulnerabilities/PIA/CVE-2019-12578.txtExploit, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/mirchr/security-research/blob/master/vulnerabilities/PIA/CVE-2019-12578.txtExploit, Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Jul 11, 2019
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2019-12578?

A vulnerability in the London Trust Media Private Internet Access (PIA) VPN Client v82 for Linux could allow an authenticated, local attacker to run arbitrary code with elevated privileges. The openvpn_launcher.64 binary is setuid root. This binary executes /opt/pia/openvpn-64/openvpn, passing the parameters provided from the command line. Care was taken to programmatically disable potentially dangerous openvpn parameters; however, the --route-pre-down parameter can be used. This parameter accepts an arbitrary path to a script/program to be executed when OpenVPN exits. The --script-security parameter also needs to be passed to allow for this action to be taken, and --script-security is not currently in the disabled parameter list. A local unprivileged user can pass a malicious script/binary to the --route-pre-down option, which will be executed as root when openvpn is stopped.

How severe is CVE-2019-12578?

Severity scoring for CVE-2019-12578 is pending analysis. The EPSS model estimates a 0.81% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2019-12578?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.