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CVE-2019-19232: In Sudo through 1.8.29, an attacker with access to a Runas ALL sudoer account can impersonate a nonexistent...

In Sudo through 1.8.29, an attacker with access to a Runas ALL sudoer account can impersonate a nonexistent user by invoking sudo with a numeric uid that is not associated with any user. NOTE: The software maintainer believes that this is not a vulnerability because running a command via sudo as a user not present in the local password database is an intentional feature. Because this behavior surprised some users, sudo 1.8.30 introduced an option to enable/disable this behavior with the default being disabled. However, this does not change the fact that sudo was behaving as intended, and as documented, in earlier versions

UnknownCVSS not scoredNot KEV-listedUpdated
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Glexia's TakeAutomated analysislow

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

This issue affects sudo configurations where a permitted user can run commands as any target user. In sudo through 1.8.29, that user could choose a numeric user ID that does not exist locally. The sudo maintainer characterized this as documented behavior, not a vulnerability; sudo 1.8.30 changed the default to disable it.

Executive priority

Treat this as a targeted privileged-access hygiene issue, not an emergency internet-facing vulnerability. Prioritize review on production systems with broad sudo delegation, shared administration, or strict audit requirements. Remediation can usually align with normal package maintenance unless vendor guidance indicates higher product-specific impact.

Technical view

CVE-2019-19232 concerns sudo through 1.8.29 handling Runas ALL sudoers entries. A user already authorized by sudo could specify a numeric UID absent from the local password database and run as that nonexistent identity. The record notes the maintainer viewed this as intentional behavior, while later sudo added an enable or disable control defaulting to disabled.

Likely exposure

Exposure is likely limited to Unix-like systems running sudo through 1.8.29 with sudoers rules allowing Runas ALL. General sudo installation alone is not enough; the user must already have relevant sudo authorization. Vendor advisories should determine affected package builds and backports.

Exploitation context

The provided sources do not show active exploitation, and CISA KEV status is false. This is not described as unauthenticated compromise or a direct root bypass. It is a privilege-bound configuration behavior that may surprise administrators who assumed Runas ALL excluded nonexistent numeric user IDs.

Researcher notes

Evidence is unusually nuanced: the CVE record states the maintainer disputes vulnerability status and describes the behavior as intentional and documented before 1.8.30. Analysis should focus on sudoers policy assumptions, vendor packaging status, and whether numeric unknown UIDs undermine local accountability or control objectives.

Mitigation direction

  • Check vendor advisories for affected sudo packages and supported fixes.
  • Update sudo packages where vendor guidance provides a corrected or backported release.
  • Review sudoers entries granting Runas ALL and narrow them where operationally possible.
  • On sudo 1.8.30 or later, verify the unknown-UID behavior is disabled by default.
  • Prioritize systems where broad sudo delegation is granted to many operators.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory sudo versions and vendor package status across Unix-like hosts.
  • Audit sudoers and included sudoers.d files for Runas ALL rules.
  • Confirm whether vendor packages include the sudo 1.8.30 behavior change or a backport.
  • Review privileged access logs for unusual sudo use involving numeric target UIDs.
  • Document any business need for allowing commands as arbitrary target users.
Prepared
Confidence
high
Sources
8

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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Credential and access behavior lookup

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Database behavior lookup

The CVE wording references database injection or access, so collection and exfiltration review may help. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.

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CVE-2019-19232 mapping review

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Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
Unknown
CVSS
Not scored
Known Exploited
No
Published
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.

0CVSS vectors
0Timeline events
0ADP providers
18Source links

CVSS and timeline data

No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
n/an/an/aListed
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

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