Is CVE-2019-12789 actively exploited?

No active exploitation of CVE-2019-12789 has been confirmed so far. Continue monitoring, as exploit status can change.

Can CVE-2019-12789 be exploited remotely?

No. CVE-2019-12789 requires physical access to exploit.

What is the CVSS score of CVE-2019-12789?

CVE-2019-12789 has a CVSS score of 6.8 (MEDIUM).

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MEDIUM

CVE-2019-12789

NVD-CWE-noinfoPublished: June 17, 2019· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

6.8

CVSS v3.1

Official Description

An issue was discovered on Actiontec T2200H T2200H-31.128L.08 devices, as distributed by Telus. By attaching a UART adapter to the UART pins on the system board, an attacker can use a special key sequence (Ctrl-\) to obtain a shell with root privileges. After gaining root access, the attacker can mount the filesystem read-write and make permanent modifications to the device including bricking of the device, disabling vendor management of the device, preventing automatic upgrades, and permanently installing malicious code on the device.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2019-12789 requires local access, meaning attackers must already have a foothold on the target system.

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), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 6.8.