CVE-2019-5021

Name: CVE-2019-5021
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2019-05-08T17:29:01.49+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

CRITICALCVSS 9.8/10EPSS 6.26%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2019-5021 is a critical-severity vulnerability rated 9.8/10 on the CVSS scale. Versions of the Official Alpine Linux Docker images (since v3.3) contain a NULL password for the `root` user. This vulnerability appears to be the result of a regression introduced in December of 2015. EPSS estimates a 6.26% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

Versions of the Official Alpine Linux Docker images (since v3.3) contain a NULL password for the `root` user. This vulnerability appears to be the result of a regression introduced in December of 2015. Due to the nature of this issue, systems deployed using affected versions of the Alpine Linux container which utilize Linux PAM, or some other mechanism which uses the system shadow file as an authentication database, may accept a NULL password for the `root` user.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

9.8/10

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

EPSS Probability

6.26%

92.7th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-258

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Gliderlabs	Docker-Alpine	>= 3.3
Opensuse	Leap	15.0
Opensuse	Leap	15.1
F5	Big-Ip Controller	1.2.1

References

http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-06/msg00004.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/108288Broken Link
https://alpinelinux.org/posts/Docker-image-vulnerability-CVE-2019-5021.htmlVendor Advisory
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20190510-0001/Third Party Advisory
https://support.f5.com/csp/article/K25551452Third Party Advisory
https://talosintelligence.com/vulnerability_reports/TALOS-2019-0782Exploit, Mitigation, Patch, Third Party Advisory
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-06/msg00004.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/108288Broken Link
https://alpinelinux.org/posts/Docker-image-vulnerability-CVE-2019-5021.htmlVendor Advisory
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20190510-0001/Third Party Advisory
https://support.f5.com/csp/article/K25551452Third Party Advisory
https://talosintelligence.com/vulnerability_reports/TALOS-2019-0782Exploit, Mitigation, Patch, Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: May 8, 2019
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2019-5021?

How severe is CVE-2019-5021?

CVE-2019-5021 has a CVSS score of 9.8/10 (CRITICAL severity). The EPSS model estimates a 6.26% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2019-5021?

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-2019-5021?

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

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST