HOME VULNERABILITIESCVE-2019-5021

CRITICAL

CVE-2019-5021

CWE-258Published: May 8, 2019· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

9.8

CVSS v3.1

Official Description

Versions of the Official Alpine Linux Docker images (since v3.3) contain a NULL password for the `root` user. This vulnerability appears to be the result of a regression introduced in December of 2015. Due to the nature of this issue, systems deployed using affected versions of the Alpine Linux container which utilize Linux PAM, or some other mechanism which uses the system shadow file as an authentication database, may accept a NULL password for the `root` user.

Technical Analysis

CVE-2019-5021 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), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 9.8.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability

Attack VectorNetwork

Attack ComplexityLow

Privileges Req.None

User InteractionNone

ScopeUnchanged

Impact

ConfidentialityHigh

IntegrityHigh

AvailabilityHigh

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

Affected Vendors & Products

alpinelinux1 product(s)

alpine linux

f51 product(s)

big-ip controller

gliderlabs1 product(s)

docker-alpine

openSUSE1 product(s)

leap

Source: NVD CPE · 5 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://talosintelligence.com/vulnerability_reports/TALOS-2019-0782

PATCHhttps://talosintelligence.com/vulnerability_reports/TALOS-2019-0782

ADVISORYhttp://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-06/msg00004.html

ADVISORYhttps://alpinelinux.org/posts/Docker-image-vulnerability-CVE-2019-5021.html

ADVISORYhttps://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20190510-0001/

ADVISORYhttps://support.f5.com/csp/article/K25551452

ADVISORYhttp://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-06/msg00004.html

ADVISORYhttps://alpinelinux.org/posts/Docker-image-vulnerability-CVE-2019-5021.html

ADVISORYhttps://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20190510-0001/

ADVISORYhttps://support.f5.com/csp/article/K25551452

All References (12)

→

http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-06/msg00004.htmlMailing List · Third Party Advisory

→

http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/108288Broken Link

→

https://alpinelinux.org/posts/Docker-image-vulnerability-CVE-2019-5021.htmlVendor Advisory

→

https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20190510-0001/Third Party Advisory

→

https://support.f5.com/csp/article/K25551452Third Party Advisory

→

https://talosintelligence.com/vulnerability_reports/TALOS-2019-0782Exploit · Mitigation · Patch · Third Party Advisory

→

http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-06/msg00004.htmlMailing List · Third Party Advisory

→

http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/108288Broken Link

→

https://alpinelinux.org/posts/Docker-image-vulnerability-CVE-2019-5021.htmlVendor Advisory

→

https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20190510-0001/Third Party Advisory

→

https://support.f5.com/csp/article/K25551452Third Party Advisory

→

https://talosintelligence.com/vulnerability_reports/TALOS-2019-0782Exploit · Mitigation · Patch · Third Party Advisory

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2019-5021

CVSS Score9.8 / 10

SeverityCRITICAL

WeaknessCWE-258

CISA KEVNo

Affected4 vendor(s)

PublishedMay 8, 2019

Related CVEs (CWE-258)

Recommended Actions

→Apply vendor patches immediately
→Monitor CVE-2019-5021 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.COM. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.

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