How severe is CVE-2019-13638?

CVE-2019-13638 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2019-13638 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 5% (90th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2019-13638?

CVE-2019-13638 primarily affects Gnu Patch. In total, 4 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2019-13638?

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-2019-13638 published?

CVE-2019-13638 was published on 2019-07-26 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2019-13638

CVE-2019-13638 is a high-severity vulnerability in Gnu Patch 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-78.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
CVSS v2: 9.3
EPSS exploit prediction: 5% (90th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-78
Affected product: Gnu Patch
Published: 2019-07-26
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

GNU patch through 2.7.6 is vulnerable to OS shell command injection that can be exploited by opening a crafted patch file that contains an ed style diff payload with shell metacharacters. The ed editor does not need to be present on the vulnerable system. This is different from CVE-2018-1000156.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2019-13638?: GNU patch through 2.7.6 is vulnerable to OS shell command injection that can be exploited by opening a crafted patch file that contains an ed style diff payload with shell metacharacters. The ed editor does not need to be present on the vulnerable system. This is different from CVE-2018-1000156.
How severe is CVE-2019-13638?: CVE-2019-13638 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2019-13638 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 5% (90th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2019-13638?: CVE-2019-13638 primarily affects Gnu Patch. In total, 4 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2019-13638?: 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-2019-13638 published?: CVE-2019-13638 was published on 2019-07-26 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (4)

cpe:2.3:a:gnu:patch:2.7.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:10.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Gnu Patch

CVE-2018-20969 — High (CVSS 7.8): do_ed_script in pch.c in GNU patch through 2.7.6 does not block strings beginning with a ! character. NOTE: this is the…
CVE-2018-1000156 — High (CVSS 7.8): GNU Patch version 2.7.6 contains an input validation vulnerability when processing patch files, specifically the…
CVE-2015-1396 — High (CVSS 7.5): A Directory Traversal vulnerability exists in the GNU patch before 2.7.4. A remote attacker can write to arbitrary…
CVE-2018-6952 — High (CVSS 7.5): A double free exists in the another_hunk function in pch.c in GNU patch through 2.7.6.
CVE-2018-6951 — High (CVSS 7.5): An issue was discovered in GNU patch through 2.7.6. There is a segmentation fault, associated with a NULL pointer…
CVE-2015-1395 — High (CVSS 7.5): Directory traversal vulnerability in GNU patch versions which support Git-style patching before 2.7.3 allows remote…

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