---
title: "CVE-2019-18422\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-2019-18422?format=md
keywords: index, follow
---

# CVE-2019-18422

Publication date 31 October 2019

Last updated 26 August 2025

---

Ubuntu priority

**Medium**

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

## Cvss 3 Severity Score

**8.8 · High**

[Score breakdown](https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2019-18422?format=md#impact-score)

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## Description

An issue was discovered in Xen through 4.12.x allowing ARM guest OS users
to cause a denial of service or gain privileges by leveraging the erroneous
enabling of interrupts. Interrupts are unconditionally unmasked in
exception handlers. When an exception occurs on an ARM system which is
handled without changing processor level, some interrupts are
unconditionally enabled during exception entry. So exceptions which occur
when interrupts are masked will effectively unmask the interrupts. A
malicious guest might contrive to arrange for critical Xen code to run with
interrupts erroneously enabled. This could lead to data corruption, denial
of service, or possibly even privilege escalation. However a precise attack
technique has not been identified.

[Read the notes from the security team](https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2019-18422?format=md#notes)

## Status

Show unmaintained releases

| Package | Ubuntu Release | Status |
| --- | --- | --- |
| xen | 26.04 LTS resolute | Not affected |
| 25.10 questing | Not affected |
| 25.04 plucky | Not affected |
| 24.10 oracular | Not affected |
| 24.04 LTS noble | Not affected |
| 23.10 mantic | Not affected |
| 23.04 lunar | Not affected |
| 22.10 kinetic | Not affected |
| 22.04 LTS jammy | Not affected |
| 21.10 impish | Not affected |
| 21.04 hirsute | Not affected |
| 20.10 groovy | Not affected |
| 20.04 LTS focal | Not affected |
| 19.10 eoan | Ignored end of life |
| 19.04 disco | Ignored end of life |
| 18.04 LTS bionic | Vulnerable |
| 16.04 LTS xenial | Vulnerable |
| 14.04 LTS trusty | Not in release |

---

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

## Notes

---

### [mdeslaur](https://launchpad.net/~mdeslaur)

hypervisor packages are in universe

---

### [alexmurray](https://launchpad.net/~alexmurray)

This issue is specific only to ARM platforms - x86 systems are not affected

## Severity score breakdown

CVSS version:
CVSS v3.0

**Base score**

8.8 · High

* Base metrics

  | Parameter | Value |
  | --- | --- |
  | Attack vector | Network |
  | 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 | 8.8 · High |
  | Exploitability score | - |
  | Impact score | - |

**Vector:** CVSS:3.1/AV:N/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-2019-18422)
* [NVD](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-18422)
* [Launchpad](https://launchpad.net/bugs/cve/CVE-2019-18422)
* [Debian](https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2019-18422)

### Other references

* <https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2019-18422>