CVE-2019-14868

Name: CVE-2019-14868
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2020-04-02T17:15:13.99+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

HIGHCVSS 7.8/10EPSS 1.39%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2019-14868 is a high-severity vulnerability rated 7.8/10 on the CVSS scale. In ksh version 20120801, a flaw was found in the way it evaluates certain environment variables. An attacker could use this flaw to override or bypass environment restrictions to execute shell commands. EPSS estimates a 1.39% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

In ksh version 20120801, a flaw was found in the way it evaluates certain environment variables. An attacker could use this flaw to override or bypass environment restrictions to execute shell commands. Services and applications that allow remote unauthenticated attackers to provide one of those environment variables could allow them to exploit this issue remotely.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

7.8/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS Probability

1.39%

68.7th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Ksh Project	Ksh	20120801
Debian	Debian Linux	9.0
Apple	Mac Os X	< 10.15.5

References

http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2020/May/53Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=CVE-2019-14868Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/att/ast/commit/c7de8b641266bac7c77942239ac659edfee9ecd2Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2020/07/msg00015.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT211170Third Party Advisory
http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2020/May/53Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=CVE-2019-14868Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/att/ast/commit/c7de8b641266bac7c77942239ac659edfee9ecd2Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2020/07/msg00015.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT211170Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Apr 2, 2020
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2019-14868?

How severe is CVE-2019-14868?

CVE-2019-14868 has a CVSS score of 7.8/10 (HIGH severity). The EPSS model estimates a 1.39% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2019-14868?

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.

Are you affected by CVE-2019-14868?

Run a free Strix scan to check your systems for this vulnerability.

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST