CVE-2019-3842

Aliases:DEBIAN-CVE-2019-3842CGA-3w8r-7hpp-5h62CGA-7mgf-9hxf-9q6wCGA-8935-636c-xff5CGA-8gj8-wm26-258cCGA-p9ch-8hp6-wwgjCGA-p9mr-75pr-7w9wCGA-r65r-7484-r3pgCGA-v3vr-2pv9-3mcfCGA-w9q5-c2fx-wwxpCGA-wf5r-wm5v-p2pp
Advisory lineage Upstream: 0 Downstream: 11
Modified
Published: 09 Apr 2019, 20:25
Last modified:09 Jun 2025, 15:47

Vulnerability Summary

Overall Risk (default)
medium
38/100
CVSS Score
7 HIGH
v3.1 (nvd)
EPSS Score
1.21% LOW
1% probability +1.11%
KEV
Not listed
Ransomware
No reports
Public exploits
2 found
Dark Web
Not detected

Timeline

09 Apr 2019, 20:25
Published
Vulnerability first disclosed
09 Jun 2025, 15:47
Last Modified
Vulnerability information updated

Description

In systemd before v242-rc4, it was discovered that pam_systemd does not properly sanitize the environment before using the XDG_SEAT variable. It is possible for an attacker, in some particular configurations, to set a XDG_SEAT environment variable which allows for commands to be checked against polkit policies using the "allow_active" element rather than "allow_any".

CVSS Metrics

  • v3.1HIGHScore: 7CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
  • v3.0MEDIUMScore: 4.5CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L
  • v2.0MEDIUMScore: 4.4AV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P

EPSS Trends

Current EPSS score: 1.21% Percentile: 67%

Techniques & Countermeasures

  • CWE-285Improper Authorization

    The product does not perform or incorrectly performs an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action.

  • CWE-863Incorrect Authorization

    The product performs an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action, but it does not correctly perform the check.

Affected Systems

  • chainguardpy3-systemd

    < 0

  • chainguardpy3.10-systemd

    < 0

  • chainguardpy3.11-systemd

    < 0

  • chainguardpy3.12-systemd

    < 0

  • chainguardpy3.13-systemd

    < 0

  • debiansystemd

    < 241-3 | < 241-3 | < 241-3 | < 241-3

  • debiandebian_linux

    8.0

  • fedoraprojectfedora

    30

  • redhatenterprise_linux

    7.0

  • systemd_projectsystemd

    ≤ 241 | 242:rc1 | 242:rc2 | 242:rc3

  • the systemd projectsystemd

    v242-rc4

References (9)