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CVE Record

CVE-2019-15790: Apport reads PID files with elevated privileges

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.

LowCVSS 2.8Not KEV-listedUpdated
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Glexia's TakeAutomated analysislow

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

This is a low-severity local information disclosure in Ubuntu Apport. A user already logged into a system could make Apport read process information with elevated privileges and potentially learn details about a privileged process. The main business concern is assisting another vulnerability, not standalone compromise.

Executive priority

Treat this as routine patch management unless affected systems are shared or host sensitive workloads. It is unlikely to justify emergency response alone, but it can reduce defense-in-depth when combined with another local exploit path.

Technical view

Apport’s get_pid_info() read /proc/pid data with elevated privileges and could be confused by PID recycling. The leak could expose process information useful for deriving ASLR offsets when combined with an existing memory corruption vulnerability. Ubuntu issued fixes and follow-up regression fixes across affected Apport package lines.

Likely exposure

Exposure is mainly Ubuntu systems running affected Canonical Apport versions 2.14.1, 2.20.1, 2.20.9, or 2.20.11 before the fixed package revisions. The attacker needs local low-privileged access, so shared hosts, developer workstations, and multi-user servers matter most.

Exploitation context

The CVE is not marked in KEV, and the provided sources do not establish active exploitation. The attack requires local access and high complexity, and it is most valuable as an information leak supporting a separate memory corruption exploit.

Researcher notes

Focus validation on local privilege boundaries and package state. The important nuance is PID recycling plus privileged /proc reads, with impact limited to confidentiality. The source bundle also notes initial fix regressions, so distinguish original vulnerable packages from later corrected fixes.

Mitigation direction

  • Apply the relevant Ubuntu Apport security updates for the installed release.
  • Confirm regression-fix package revisions are installed, not only the initial fix.
  • Prioritize multi-user Ubuntu systems and hosts with untrusted local accounts.
  • Review Canonical USN-4171 advisories for release-specific package guidance.
  • Monitor vendor guidance for any additional Apport or Whoopsie follow-up fixes.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory Ubuntu hosts with Apport installed and enabled.
  • Compare installed Apport versions against Canonical fixed package revisions.
  • Check whether affected systems allow untrusted local shell or application users.
  • Verify security update status after applying USN-4171 related updates.
  • Document any exception where vendor-fixed packages cannot be installed.
Prepared
Confidence
high
Sources
11

Public sources used

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context

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cve · low confidence lookup

CVE-2019-15790 mapping review

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Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
Low
CVSS
2.8 (3.1)
Known Exploited
No
Published

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

Official CVE source material

CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5

These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.

1CVSS vectors
0Timeline events
0ADP providers
10Source links

CVSS vector scores

1 official score

We collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.

ScoreVersionSeverityVectorExploitImpactSource
2.8CVSS 3.1LowCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:N/A:N1.11.4Primary CVE score

Vulnerability scoring details

Base CVSS 3.1 score

2.8Low
CVSS 3.1 vector shape for CVE-2019-15790Attack VectorAttack ComplexityPrivileges RequiredUser InteractionScopeConfidentiality ImpactIntegrity ImpactAvailability Impact

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

Attack Vector
NetworkAdjacentLocalPhysical
Attack Complexity
LowHigh
Privileges Required
NoneLowHigh
User Interaction
NoneRequired
Scope
ChangedUnchanged
Confidentiality Impact
HighLowNone
Integrity Impact
HighLowNone
Availability Impact
HighLowNone

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
CanonicalApport2.14.1, 2.20.1, 2.20.9, 2.20.11Listed
Weakness

CWE details

CWE-250

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CWE-250 · source CWE mapping

Execution with Unnecessary Privileges

Execution with Unnecessary Privileges represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.

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