CVE-2019-13272
KEVHIGH 7.8EPSS 52.2%
In the Linux kernel before 5.1.17, ptrace_link in kernel/ptrace.c mishandles the recording of the credentials of a process that wants to create a ptrace relationship, which allows local users to obtain root access by leveraging certain scenarios with a parent-child process relationship, where a parent drops privileges and calls execve (potentially allowing control by an attacker). One contributing factor is an object lifetime issue (which can also cause a panic). Another contributing factor is incorrect marking of a ptrace relationship as privileged, which is exploitable through (for example) Polkit's pkexec helper with PTRACE_TRACEME. NOTE: SELinux deny_ptrace might be a usable workaround in some environments.
- CVSS v3.1
- 7.8 HIGH
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - CVSS v3.1
- 7.8 HIGH
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - CVSS v2.0
- 7.2 HIGH
AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C - EPSS
- 52.20% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, 99th percentile
- CISA KEV
- added 2021-12-10
- Published
- 2019-07-17
- Updated
- 2025-10-21
Proof-of-concept exploits (21)
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/154245/Kernel-Live-Patch-Security-Notice-LSN-0054-1.…
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/154957/Linux-Polkit-pkexec-Helper-PTRACE_TRACEME-Loc…
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/156929/Linux-PTRACE_TRACEME-Local-Root.html
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/165051/Linux-Kernel-5.1.x-PTRACE_TRACEME-pkexec-Loca…
- Cyc1eC/CVE-2019-132725★ · 2019-07-31
- HaleyWei/POC-available2★ · 2020-09-21
- MDS1GNAL/ptrace_scope-CVE-2019-13272-privilege-escalation2★ · 2024-03-27
- RashmikaEkanayake/Privilege-Escalation-CVE-2019-13272-0★ · 2020-05-12
- Tharana/vulnerability-exploitation3★ · 2020-05-12
- asepsaepdin/CVE-2019-132720★ · 2023-09-05
- babyshen/CVE-2019-132720★ · 2022-03-10
- bigbigliang-malwarebenchmark/cve-2019-132721★ · 2019-08-04
- datntsec/CVE-2019-132720★ · 2020-12-25
- jana30116/CVE-2019-13272-Local-Privilege-Escalation0★ · 2021-05-20
- jas502n/CVE-2019-13272332★ · 2019-08-01
- josemlwdf/CVE-2019-132723★ · 2025-07-23
- oneoy/CVE-2019-132724★ · 2019-08-07
- polosec/CVE-2019-132720★ · 2020-03-05
- sumedhaDharmasena/-Kernel-ptrace-c-mishandles-vulnerability-CVE-2019-132720★ · 2020-05-02
- teddy47/CVE-2019-13272---Documentation0★ · 2020-05-13
- letsr00t/CVE-2019-13272
Metasploit modules (1)
ExploitDB entries (4)
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/47543
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/47133
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/50541
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/47163