HOME VULNERABILITIESCVE-2019-12209

HIGH

CVE-2019-12209

CWE-59Published: June 4, 2019· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

7.5

CVSS v3.1

Official Description

Yubico pam-u2f 1.0.7 attempts parsing of the configured authfile (default $HOME/.config/Yubico/u2f_keys) as root (unless openasuser was enabled), and does not properly verify that the path lacks symlinks pointing to other files on the system owned by root. If the debug option is enabled in the PAM configuration, part of the file contents of a symlink target will be logged, possibly revealing sensitive information.

Technical Analysis

CVE-2019-12209 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns and worm-like propagation.

A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), with a CVSS base score of 7.5.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability

Attack VectorNetwork

Attack ComplexityLow

Privileges Req.None

User InteractionNone

ScopeUnchanged

Impact

ConfidentialityHigh

IntegrityNone

AvailabilityNone

CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

Affected Vendors & Products

yubico1 product(s)

pam-u2f

Source: NVD CPE · 1 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time

Offensive Security exploit database

GitHub PoC Search

Community PoC repositories

Rapid7 / Metasploit

Metasploit module search

Security advisories & exploits

Official NIST entry

CVE Program entry

External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.

Official Patches & Advisories

PATCHhttps://github.com/Yubico/pam-u2f/commit/7db3386fcdb454e33a3ea30dcfb8e8960d4c3aa3

PATCHhttps://github.com/Yubico/pam-u2f/commit/7db3386fcdb454e33a3ea30dcfb8e8960d4c3aa3

ADVISORYhttp://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2019/06/05/1

ADVISORYhttps://developers.yubico.com/pam-u2f/Release_Notes.html

ADVISORYhttp://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2019/06/05/1

ADVISORYhttps://developers.yubico.com/pam-u2f/Release_Notes.html

All References (14)

→

http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-07/msg00012.html

→

http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-07/msg00018.html

→

http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2019/06/05/1Exploit · Mailing List · Third Party Advisory

→

https://developers.yubico.com/pam-u2f/Release_Notes.htmlRelease Notes · Vendor Advisory

→

https://github.com/Yubico/pam-u2f/commit/7db3386fcdb454e33a3ea30dcfb8e8960d4c3aa3Patch · Third Party Advisory

→

https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/5FOR4ADC356JPCHAJI5UXZORLC3VNBPS/

→

https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/ZCGU6UQLI3ZTW3UYCTMQW7VDL5M4LCWR/

→

http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-07/msg00012.html

→

http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-07/msg00018.html

→

http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2019/06/05/1Exploit · Mailing List · Third Party Advisory

→

https://developers.yubico.com/pam-u2f/Release_Notes.htmlRelease Notes · Vendor Advisory

→

https://github.com/Yubico/pam-u2f/commit/7db3386fcdb454e33a3ea30dcfb8e8960d4c3aa3Patch · Third Party Advisory

→

https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/5FOR4ADC356JPCHAJI5UXZORLC3VNBPS/

→

https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/ZCGU6UQLI3ZTW3UYCTMQW7VDL5M4LCWR/

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2019-12209

CVSS Score7.5 / 10

SeverityHIGH

WeaknessCWE-59

CISA KEVNo

Affected1 vendor(s)

PublishedJun 4, 2019

Related CVEs (CWE-59)

Recommended Actions

→Apply vendor patches immediately
→Monitor CVE-2019-12209 in threat intel feeds
→Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts

Data sourced from NVD (NIST), CISA KEV, and EPSS (FIRST). Analysis generated by CTIWatch. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.

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