HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2019-16764
MEDIUM

CVE-2019-16764

CWE-400Published: November 25, 2019· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

5.5
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

The use of `String.to_atom/1` in PowAssent is susceptible to denial of service attacks. In `PowAssent.Phoenix.AuthorizationController` a value is fetched from the user provided params, and `String.to_atom/1` is used to convert the binary value to an atom so it can be used to fetch the provider configuration value. This is unsafe as it is user provided data, and can be used to fill up the whole atom table of ~1M which will cause the app to crash.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2019-16764 requires local access, meaning attackers must already have a foothold on the target system.

Exploitation requires low privileges, which limits the exposure to scenarios where an attacker has already gained initial access.

A successful exploit results in availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 5.5.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorLocal
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.Low
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityNone
IntegrityNone
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

powauth1 product(s)
powassent
Source: NVD CPE · 1 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
Exploit-DB
Offensive Security exploit database
GitHub PoC Search
Community PoC repositories
Rapid7 / Metasploit
Metasploit module search
PacketStorm
Security advisories & exploits
NVD Detail
Official NIST entry
MITRE CVE
CVE Program entry
External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.

Official Patches & Advisories

PATCHhttps://github.com/pow-auth/pow_assent/commit/026105eeecc0e3c2f807e7109e745ea93c0fd9cf
PATCHhttps://github.com/pow-auth/pow_assent/commit/026105eeecc0e3c2f807e7109e745ea93c0fd9cf
ADVISORYhttps://github.com/pow-auth/pow_assent/security/advisories/GHSA-368c-xvrv-x986
ADVISORYhttps://github.com/pow-auth/pow_assent/security/advisories/GHSA-368c-xvrv-x986

All References (8)

→
http://erlang.org/doc/efficiency_guide/commoncaveats.html#list_to_atom-1Product
→
https://github.com/pow-auth/pow_assent/commit/026105eeecc0e3c2f807e7109e745ea93c0fd9cfPatch
→
https://github.com/pow-auth/pow_assent/security/advisories/GHSA-368c-xvrv-x986Third Party Advisory
→
https://hex.pm/packages/pow_assentRelease Notes
→
http://erlang.org/doc/efficiency_guide/commoncaveats.html#list_to_atom-1Product
→
https://github.com/pow-auth/pow_assent/commit/026105eeecc0e3c2f807e7109e745ea93c0fd9cfPatch
→
https://github.com/pow-auth/pow_assent/security/advisories/GHSA-368c-xvrv-x986Third Party Advisory
→
https://hex.pm/packages/pow_assentRelease Notes

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2019-16764
CVSS Score5.5 / 10
SeverityMEDIUM
WeaknessCWE-400
CISA KEVNo
Affected1 vendor(s)
PublishedNov 25, 2019

Related CVEs (CWE-400)

CVE-2025-24211
9.8
CVE-2025-24260
9.8
CVE-2025-24269
9.8
CVE-2013-20004
9.8
CVE-2025-43193
9.8
CVE-2025-24190
9.8

Recommended Actions

  • →Apply vendor patches immediately
  • →Monitor CVE-2019-16764 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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