---
title: "CVE-2019-11481\n    | Ubuntu"
description: Ubuntu is an open source software operating system that runs from the
  desktop, to the cloud, to all your internet connected things.
url: https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2019-11481?format=md
keywords: index, follow
---

# CVE-2019-11481

Publication date 27 August 2019

Last updated 25 August 2025

---

Ubuntu priority

**Low**

[Why this priority?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#priority )

## Cvss 3 Severity Score

**7.8 · High**

[Score breakdown](https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2019-11481?format=md#impact-score)

Toggle side navigation

## Description

Kevin Backhouse discovered that apport would read a user-supplied
configuration file with elevated privileges. By replacing the file with a
symbolic link, a user could get apport to read any file on the system as
root, with unknown consequences.

## Status

Show unmaintained releases

| Package | Ubuntu Release | Status |
| --- | --- | --- |
| apport | 19.10 eoan | Fixed 2.20.11-0ubuntu8.1 |
| 19.04 disco | Fixed 2.20.10-0ubuntu27.2 |
| 18.04 LTS bionic | Fixed 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.8 |
| 16.04 LTS xenial | Fixed 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.20 |
| 14.04 LTS trusty | Fixed 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.29+esm2  Ubuntu Pro |

---

* [How can I get the fixes?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#security)
* [What do statuses mean?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#statuses)

### Get expanded security coverage with Ubuntu Pro

Reduce your average CVE exposure time from 98 days to 1 day with expanded CVE patching, ten-years security maintenance and optional support for the full stack of open-source applications. Free for personal use.

[Get Ubuntu Pro](https://ubuntu.com/pro)
[30-day free trial](https://ubuntu.com/pro/free-trial)

## Severity score breakdown

CVSS version:
CVSS v3.0

**Base score**

7.8 · High

* Base metrics

  | Parameter | Value |
  | --- | --- |
  | Attack vector | Local |
  | Attack complexity | Low |
  | Privileges required | Low |
  | User interaction | None |
  | Scope | Unchanged |
  | Confidentiality impact | High |
  | Integrity impact | High |
  | Availability impact | High |
* Scores

  | Parameter | Value |
  | --- | --- |
  | Base score | 7.8 · High |
  | Exploitability score | - |
  | Impact score | - |

**Vector:** CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

## References

* [MITRE](https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2019-11481)
* [NVD](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-11481)
* [Launchpad](https://launchpad.net/bugs/cve/CVE-2019-11481)
* [Debian](https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2019-11481)

### Related Ubuntu Security Notices (USN)

+ [USN-4171-1](https://usn.ubuntu.com/USN-4171-1)
+ Apport vulnerabilities
+ 30 October 2019

+ [USN-4171-2](https://usn.ubuntu.com/USN-4171-2)
+ Apport vulnerabilities
+ 4 November 2019

### Other references

* <https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2019-11481>