CVE-2019-14287: Critical severity Sudo Project Sudo vulnerability

Published Oct 10, 2019
·
Updated

A flaw was found in sudo before version 1.8.28. When sudo is configured to allow a user to run commands as an arbitrary user via the 'ALL' keyword in a 'Runas' specification, it is possible to run commands as root.

Other sources

A flaw was found in the way sudo implemented running commands with arbitrary user ID. If a sudoers entry is written to allow the attacker to run a command as any user except root, this flaw can be used by the attacker to bypass that restriction.

In Sudo before 1.8.28, an attacker with access to a Runas ALL sudoer account can bypass certain policy blacklists and session PAM modules, and can cause incorrect logging, by invoking sudo with a crafted user ID. For example, this allows bypass of !root configuration, and USER= logging, for a "sudo -u \#$((0xffffffff))" command.

Affected Software

64 affected componentsFixes available
redhat/sudo<0:1.7.2p1-31.el5_11.1
0:1.7.2p1-31.el5_11.1
redhat/sudo<0:1.8.6p3-29.el6_10.2
0:1.8.6p3-29.el6_10.2
redhat/sudo<0:1.8.6p3-12.el6_5.2
0:1.8.6p3-12.el6_5.2
redhat/sudo<0:1.8.6p3-15.el6_6.2
0:1.8.6p3-15.el6_6.2
redhat/sudo<0:1.8.23-4.el7_7.1
0:1.8.23-4.el7_7.1
redhat/sudo<0:1.8.6p7-17.el7_2.2
0:1.8.6p7-17.el7_2.2
redhat/sudo<0:1.8.6p7-23.el7_3.2
0:1.8.6p7-23.el7_3.2
redhat/sudo<0:1.8.19p2-12.el7_4.1
0:1.8.19p2-12.el7_4.1
redhat/sudo<0:1.8.19p2-14.el7_5.1
0:1.8.19p2-14.el7_5.1
redhat/sudo<0:1.8.23-3.el7_6.1
0:1.8.23-3.el7_6.1
redhat/sudo<0:1.8.25p1-8.el8_1
0:1.8.25p1-8.el8_1
redhat/sudo<0:1.8.25p1-4.el8_0.2
0:1.8.25p1-4.el8_0.2
redhat/redhat-release-virtualization-host<0:4.2-15.1.el7
0:4.2-15.1.el7
redhat/redhat-virtualization-host<0:4.2-20191022.0.el7_6
0:4.2-20191022.0.el7_6
debian/sudo<=1.8.27-1, <=1.8.19p1-2.1
1.8.19p1-2.1+deb9u11.8.27-1+deb10u11.8.27-1.1
redhat/sudo<1.8.28
1.8.28
Sudo Project Sudo<1.8.28
Fedoraproject Fedora=29
Fedoraproject Fedora=30
Fedoraproject Fedora=31
Debian Debian Linux=8.0
Debian Debian Linux=9.0
Debian Debian Linux=10.0
openSUSE Leap=15.0
openSUSE Leap=15.1
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=12.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=14.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=16.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=18.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=19.04
NetApp Element Software Management Node
redhat OpenShift Container Platform=4.1
redhat Virtualization=4.2
redhat Enterprise Linux=8.0
redhat Enterprise Linux Desktop=6.0
redhat Enterprise Linux Desktop=7.0
redhat Enterprise Linux Eus=7.5
redhat Enterprise Linux Eus=7.6
redhat Enterprise Linux Eus=7.7
redhat Enterprise Linux Eus=8.1
redhat Enterprise Linux Eus=8.2
redhat Enterprise Linux Eus=8.4
redhat Enterprise Linux Server=5.0
redhat Enterprise Linux Server=6.0
redhat Enterprise Linux Server=7.0
redhat Enterprise Linux Server Aus=6.5
redhat Enterprise Linux Server Aus=6.6
redhat Enterprise Linux Server Aus=7.2
redhat Enterprise Linux Server Aus=7.3
redhat Enterprise Linux Server Aus=7.4
redhat Enterprise Linux Server Aus=7.6
redhat Enterprise Linux Server Aus=7.7
redhat Enterprise Linux Server Aus=8.2
redhat Enterprise Linux Server Aus=8.4
redhat Enterprise Linux Server Tus=7.2
redhat Enterprise Linux Server Tus=7.3
redhat Enterprise Linux Server Tus=7.4
redhat Enterprise Linux Server Tus=7.6
redhat Enterprise Linux Server Tus=7.7
redhat Enterprise Linux Server Tus=8.2
redhat Enterprise Linux Server Tus=8.4
redhat Enterprise Linux Workstation=6.0
redhat Enterprise Linux Workstation=7.0
debian/sudo
1.9.5p2-3+deb11u11.9.5p2-3+deb11u31.9.13p3-1+deb12u31.9.13p3-1+deb12u21.9.16p2-31.9.17p2-4

Remediation

Information

This vulnerability only affects configurations of sudo that have a runas user list that includes an exclusion of root. The most simple example is: ~~~ someuser ALL=(ALL, !root) /usr/bin/somecommand ~~~ The exclusion is specified using an excalamation mark (!). In this example, the "root" user is specified by name. The root user may also be identified in other ways, such as by user id: ~~~ someuser ALL=(ALL, !#0) /usr/bin/somecommand ~~~ or by reference to a runas alias: ~~~ Runas_Alias MYGROUP = root, adminuser someuser ALL=(ALL, !MYGROUP) /usr/bin/somecommand ~~~ To ensure your sudoers configuration is not affected by this vulnerability, we recommend examining each sudoers entry that includes the `!` character in the runas specification, to ensure that the root user is not among the exclusions. These can be found in the /etc/sudoers file or files under /etc/sudoers.d.

Event History

Oct 14, 2019
CVE Published
03:00 PM
Oct 17, 2019
CVE Published
via MITRE·05:03 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·05:03 PM
Description
Data Sourced
via NVD·06:15 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software
Feb 20, 2026
Data Sourced
via Ubuntu·11:13 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Data Sourced
via Launchpad·11:14 PM
Description
Data Sourced
via Debian·11:14 PM
DescriptionAffected Software
Free Weekly Intel

Don't miss critical vulnerabilities

Join thousands of security professionals who receive our weekly digest of trending CVEs, zero-days, and exploited vulnerabilities.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the vulnerability ID for this flaw in sudo?

The vulnerability ID for this flaw in sudo is CVE-2019-14287.

2

What is the severity of CVE-2019-14287?

The severity of CVE-2019-14287 is high.

3

How does the vulnerability in sudo affect the system?

The vulnerability in sudo allows an attacker with access to a Runas ALL sudoer account to bypass certain policy blacklists and session PAM modules, and can cause incorrect logging.

4

How can an attacker exploit CVE-2019-14287?

An attacker can exploit CVE-2019-14287 by invoking sudo with a crafted user ID.

5

Is there a fix available for this vulnerability in sudo?

Yes, the fix for this vulnerability in sudo is version 1.8.28.

Contact

SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
132 Wickham Terrace
Fortitude Valley,
QLD 4006, Australia
info@secalerts.co
By using SecAlerts services, you agree to our services end-user license agreement. This website is safeguarded by reCAPTCHA and governed by the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. All names, logos, and brands of products are owned by their respective owners, and any usage of these names, logos, and brands for identification purposes only does not imply endorsement. If you possess any content that requires removal, please get in touch with us.
© 2026 SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
ABN: 70 645 966 203, ACN: 645 966 203