How severe is CVE-2019-16746?

CVE-2019-16746 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2019-16746 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 13% (96th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2019-16746?

CVE-2019-16746 primarily affects Linux Linux Kernel. In total, 8 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2019-16746?

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

When was CVE-2019-16746 published?

CVE-2019-16746 was published on 2019-09-24 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2019-16746

CVE-2019-16746 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Linux Linux Kernel with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score of 13% places it in the 96th percentile, indicating an elevated likelihood of exploitation. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-120.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.8)
CVSS v2: 7.5
EPSS exploit prediction: 13% (96th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-120
Affected product: Linux Linux Kernel
Published: 2019-09-24
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

An issue was discovered in net/wireless/nl80211.c in the Linux kernel through 5.2.17. It does not check the length of variable elements in a beacon head, leading to a buffer overflow.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2019-16746?: An issue was discovered in net/wireless/nl80211.c in the Linux kernel through 5.2.17. It does not check the length of variable elements in a beacon head, leading to a buffer overflow.
How severe is CVE-2019-16746?: CVE-2019-16746 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2019-16746 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 13% (96th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2019-16746?: CVE-2019-16746 primarily affects Linux Linux Kernel. In total, 8 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2019-16746?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2019-16746 published?: CVE-2019-16746 was published on 2019-09-24 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (8)

cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:16.04:*:*:*:esm:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:18.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:19.04:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:19.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:30:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:leap:15.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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