Cyber Resilience

CVE-2019-11043

Memory Safety in Canonical Ubuntu Linux 12.04 … 19.10

CISA KEVActive ExploitationEUVD ExploitedPublic PoCRansomware-linkedMemory Safety
Published
28 October 2019
Modified
03 November 2025
KEV Added
25 March 2022
Patch / advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 8.7
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N
EPSS Score 0.99 99.9th percentile
Risk Priority 87 floored blend · peak EPSS

Summary

CVE-2019-11043 is a high-severity Classic Buffer Overflow (CWE-120) vulnerability in Canonical Ubuntu Linux. Its CVSS base score is 8.7 (High).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploitation for Privilege Escalation (T1068); ranked in the top 0.1% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; CISA has added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.

Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary

Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.

The vulnerability is a buffer overflow condition, tracked as CWE-120 and CWE-787, that affects the PHP FastCGI Process Manager (FPM) component in versions 7.1.x prior to 7.1.33, 7.2.x prior to 7.2.24, and 7.3.x prior to 7.3.11. In specific FPM configurations, the module can write beyond allocated buffers into memory reserved for FCGI protocol data, creating conditions that enable remote code execution. The issue received a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.7.

Remote attackers without authentication can trigger the flaw over the network when the vulnerable FPM setup is reachable, achieving code execution that impacts confidentiality and integrity with a scope change, although successful exploitation requires high attack complexity.

Vendor advisories and errata from Red Hat, openSUSE, and other distributions address the issue through updated PHP packages that correct the buffer handling in FPM; organizations are advised to apply the corresponding fixes for the affected versions. Public exploit code demonstrating the remote code execution path has been published.

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

In PHP versions 7.1.x below 7.1.33, 7.2.x below 7.2.24 and 7.3.x below 7.3.11 in certain configurations of FPM setup it is possible to cause FPM module to write past allocated buffers into the space reserved for FCGI protocol data, thus…

more

opening the possibility of remote code execution.

CWE(s)
KEV Date Added
25 March 2022

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1068 Exploitation for Privilege Escalation Privilege Escalation
Adversaries may exploit software vulnerabilities in an attempt to elevate privileges.
T1190 Exploit Public-Facing Application Initial Access
Adversaries may attempt to exploit a weakness in an Internet-facing host or system to initially access a network.
T1203 Exploitation for Client Execution Execution
Adversaries may exploit software vulnerabilities in client applications to execute code.
T1210 Exploitation of Remote Services Lateral Movement
Adversaries may exploit remote services to gain unauthorized access to internal systems once inside of a network.
T1211 Exploitation for Stealth Stealth
Adversaries may exploit vulnerabilities to evade detection by hiding activity, suppressing logging, or operating within trusted or unmonitored components.
T1212 Exploitation for Credential Access Credential Access
Adversaries may exploit software vulnerabilities in an attempt to collect credentials.
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2019-5544Same product: Fedoraproject Fedoraboth on KEV
CVE-2023-4911Same product: Canonical Ubuntu Linuxboth on KEV
CVE-2020-15999Same product: Debian Debian Linuxboth on KEV
CVE-2019-16928Same product: Canonical Ubuntu Linuxboth on KEV
CVE-2021-4034Same product: Canonical Ubuntu Linuxboth on KEV
CVE-2018-17480Same product: Debian Debian Linuxboth on KEV
CVE-2021-44142Same product: Canonical Ubuntu Linux
CVE-2023-5217Same product: Debian Debian Linuxboth on KEV
CVE-2021-21148Same product: Debian Debian Linuxboth on KEV
CVE-2023-7024Same product: Debian Debian Linuxboth on KEV

Affected Assets

php
php
7.1.0 — 7.1.33 · 7.2.0 — 7.2.24 · 7.3.0 — 7.3.11
canonical
ubuntu linux
12.04, 14.04, 16.04, 18.04, 19.04
debian
debian linux
10.0, 9.0
fedoraproject
fedora
29, 30, 31
tenable
tenable.sc
≤ 5.19.0
redhat
software collections
1.0
redhat
enterprise linux
8.0
redhat
enterprise linux desktop
6.0, 7.0
redhat
enterprise linux eus
7.7, 8.1, 8.2, 8.4, 8.6
redhat
enterprise linux eus compute node
7.7
+13 more product configuration(s) — see NVD for full list

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)

Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)
  • V5.2.1

Likely Mitigating Controls AI

Per-CVE control mapping for this CVE has not run yet; the list below is derived from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry.

addresses: CWE-120

Platform-independent managed code eliminates the need for unchecked native buffer copies that are the root cause of classic buffer overflows.

addresses: CWE-787

Out-of-bounds writes that corrupt control flow or inject shellcode are rendered non-executable by the same memory protections.

Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

PR.PS-06 mostly match
prevents

Secure development practices directly enforce bounds checking and input validation that prevent classic buffer overflows.

ID.RA-01 partial match
prevents

Vulnerability identification processes such as code review or scanning detect classic buffer overflows before exploitation.

PR.PS-02 partial match
prevents

Routine patching replaces vulnerable code containing unchecked buffer copies with corrected versions.

Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

prevents

Secure coding directly requires bounds-checked memory operations, addressing the root cause of CWE-120.

finds

Security testing in development and acceptance can detect buffer overflows through fuzzing and static analysis, though it does not prevent them at the source.

prevents

Secure development life cycle mandates processes that can include input validation and bounds checking to prevent buffer overflows.

prevents

Application security requirements can specify input-size validation and safe buffer handling to mitigate classic buffer overflows.

prevents

Secure system architecture and engineering principles promote defensive coding patterns that reduce the likelihood of unchecked buffer copies.

prevents

Change management can enforce review gates that catch unsafe memory operations before deployment.

References