Cyber Resilience

CVE-2019-9851

Canonical Ubuntu Linux 16.04 … 19.04

Public PoCHigh EPSS
Published
15 August 2019
Modified
21 November 2024
Patch / advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 9.8
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.78 99.5th percentile
Risk Priority 97 floored blend · peak EPSS

Summary

CVE-2019-9851 is a critical-severity Improper Input Validation (CWE-20) vulnerability in Canonical Ubuntu Linux. Its CVSS base score is 9.8 (Critical).

Operationally, ranked in the top 0.5% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

LibreOffice is typically bundled with LibreLogo, a programmable turtle vector graphics script, which can execute arbitrary python commands contained with the document it is launched from. Protection was added, to address CVE-2019-9848, to block calling LibreLogo from document event script…

more

handers, e.g. mouse over. However LibreOffice also has a separate feature where documents can specify that pre-installed scripts can be executed on various global script events such as document-open, etc. In the fixed versions, global script event handlers are validated equivalently to document script event handlers. This issue affects: Document Foundation LibreOffice versions prior to 6.2.6.

CWE(s)

Related Threats

Likely ATT&CK TechniquesAI

Techniques this vulnerability likely enables, inferred from its description, weakness type, and attributed-actor tradecraft. Confidence is per-technique.

T1204.002 Malicious File Executionconfidence: HIGH
Opening a malicious document triggers execution of embedded Python via LibreLogo script handlers.
T1059.006 Python Executionconfidence: HIGH
The vulnerability allows arbitrary Python commands to be executed from within the opened document.
inferred from description + CWE · MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise v19.0

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2025-1080Same product: Debian Debian Linux
CVE-2016-3714Same product: Canonical Ubuntu Linux
CVE-2024-24549Same product: Debian Debian Linux
CVE-2023-30631Same product: Debian Debian Linux
CVE-2023-4357Same product: Debian Debian Linux
CVE-2024-31309Same product: Debian Debian Linux
CVE-2023-6185Same product: Debian Debian Linux
CVE-2024-3044Same product: Debian Debian Linux
CVE-2023-6186Same product: Debian Debian Linux
CVE-2020-11100Same product: Canonical Ubuntu Linux

Affected Assets

canonical
ubuntu linux
16.04, 18.04, 19.04
debian
debian linux
10.0, 8.0, 9.0
fedoraproject
fedora
29
opensuse
leap
15.0, 15.1
libreoffice
libreoffice
≤ 6.2.6

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)
  • 6 hardening rules · 3 OS baselines
Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)

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-20

Security testing and developer training directly verify and enforce proper input validation, reducing exploitability of injection and malformed-data weaknesses.

addresses: CWE-20

Security testing and evaluation at multiple SDLC stages directly detects missing or flawed input validation, with the required remediation process ensuring fixes are applied.

addresses: CWE-20

Directly implements checks on information inputs to reject invalid data before processing.

addresses: CWE-20

Spam protection mechanisms perform filtering and detection on inbound/outbound messages, directly compensating for missing or weak input validation of unsolicited content.

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 SDLC practices directly require and enforce input validation during development.

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.

detects

Testing against a defined set of requirements and using code review plus vulnerability scanning forces validation of inputs and handling of unanticipated conditions, reducing the chance that malformed data will be accepted.

prevents

Secure-coding guidelines and mandatory security testing (including code scans) compel developers to validate and sanitize inputs at design and implementation time, lowering the incidence of malformed or malicious data reaching downstream components.

prevents

Mandating input controls that include integrity checks and input validation ensures that untrusted data is examined before use, blocking the root cause of many injection and malformed-data weaknesses.

prevents

Security-by-design principles explicitly call for data validation and sanitization at every layer, reducing the chance that malformed or malicious input will be processed without scrutiny.

prevents

Requiring language-specific secure coding standards, peer review, SAST and documented mitigation of common programming errors forces validation of all inputs before they are trusted.

none

Regular automated validation of system software and data content, combined with scanning of all inbound files, enforces input validation at the boundary before untrusted content is processed.

References