How severe is CVE-2019-15718?

CVE-2019-15718 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.4, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is low, integrity low, and availability none.

Is CVE-2019-15718 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-2019-15718?

CVE-2019-15718 primarily affects Systemd Project Systemd. In total, 29 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2019-15718?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2019-15718 published?

CVE-2019-15718 was published on 2019-09-04 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2019-15718

CVE-2019-15718 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Systemd Project Systemd with a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.4. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 4.4)
CVSS v2: 3.6
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (40th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Affected product: Systemd Project Systemd
Published: 2019-09-04
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

In systemd 240, bus_open_system_watch_bind_with_description in shared/bus-util.c (as used by systemd-resolved to connect to the system D-Bus instance), calls sd_bus_set_trusted, which disables access controls for incoming D-Bus messages. An unprivileged user can exploit this by executing D-Bus methods that should be restricted to privileged users, in order to change the system's DNS resolver settings.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2019-15718?: In systemd 240, bus_open_system_watch_bind_with_description in shared/bus-util.c (as used by systemd-resolved to connect to the system D-Bus instance), calls sd_bus_set_trusted, which disables access controls for incoming D-Bus messages. An unprivileged user can exploit this by executing D-Bus methods that should be restricted to privileged users, in order to change the system's DNS resolver settings.
How severe is CVE-2019-15718?: CVE-2019-15718 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.4, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is low, integrity low, and availability none.
Is CVE-2019-15718 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-2019-15718?: CVE-2019-15718 primarily affects Systemd Project Systemd. In total, 29 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2019-15718?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2019-15718 published?: CVE-2019-15718 was published on 2019-09-04 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (29)

cpe:2.3:a:systemd_project:systemd:240:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:29:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:30:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:31:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:redhat:openshift_container_platform:4.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_eus:8.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_eus:8.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_eus:8.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_ibm_z_systems_8_s390x:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_ibm_z_systems_eus:8.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_ibm_z_systems_eus:8.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_ibm_z_systems_eus:8.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_ibm_z_systems_eus_s390x:8.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_ibm_z_systems_eus_s390x:8.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_power_little_endian:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_power_little_endian_eus:8.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_power_little_endian_eus:8.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_power_little_endian_eus:8.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_aus:8.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_aus:8.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_for_power_little_endian_update_services_for_sap_solutions:8.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_for_power_little_endian_update_services_for_sap_solutions:8.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_for_power_little_endian_update_services_for_sap_solutions:8.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_tus:8.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_tus:8.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_update_services_for_sap_solutions:8.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_update_services_for_sap_solutions:8.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_update_services_for_sap_solutions:8.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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