How severe is CVE-2019-10161?

CVE-2019-10161 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2019-10161 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (40th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2019-10161?

CVE-2019-10161 primarily affects Redhat Libvirt. In total, 7 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2019-10161?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2019-10161 published?

CVE-2019-10161 was published on 2019-07-30 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2019-10161

CVE-2019-10161 is a high-severity vulnerability in Redhat Libvirt with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-22.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
CVSS v2: 7.2
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (40th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-22
Affected product: Redhat Libvirt
Published: 2019-07-30
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

It was discovered that libvirtd before versions 4.10.1 and 5.4.1 would permit read-only clients to use the virDomainSaveImageGetXMLDesc() API, specifying an arbitrary path which would be accessed with the permissions of the libvirtd process. An attacker with access to the libvirtd socket could use this to probe the existence of arbitrary files, cause denial of service or cause libvirtd to execute arbitrary programs.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2019-10161?: It was discovered that libvirtd before versions 4.10.1 and 5.4.1 would permit read-only clients to use the virDomainSaveImageGetXMLDesc() API, specifying an arbitrary path which would be accessed with the permissions of the libvirtd process. An attacker with access to the libvirtd socket could use this to probe the existence of arbitrary files, cause denial of service or cause libvirtd to execute arbitrary programs.
How severe is CVE-2019-10161?: CVE-2019-10161 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2019-10161 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (40th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2019-10161?: CVE-2019-10161 primarily affects Redhat Libvirt. In total, 7 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2019-10161?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2019-10161 published?: CVE-2019-10161 was published on 2019-07-30 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (7)

cpe:2.3:a:redhat:libvirt:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux:6.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:redhat:virtualization:4.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:redhat:virtualization_host:4.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:14.04:*:*:*:esm:*:*:*

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