How severe is CVE-2019-16784?

CVE-2019-16784 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.0, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with high attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2019-16784 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (48th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2019-16784?

CVE-2019-16784 affects Pyinstaller. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2019-16784?

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-2019-16784 published?

CVE-2019-16784 was published on 2020-01-14 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2019-16784

CVE-2019-16784 is a high-severity vulnerability in Pyinstaller with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.0. 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-732.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.0)
CVSS v2: 4.4
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (48th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-732
Affected product: Pyinstaller
Published: 2020-01-14
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

In PyInstaller before version 3.6, only on Windows, a local privilege escalation vulnerability is present in this particular case: If a software using PyInstaller in "onefile" mode is launched by a privileged user (at least more than the current one) which have his "TempPath" resolving to a world writable directory. This is the case for example if the software is launched as a service or as a scheduled task using a system account (TempPath will be C:\Windows\Temp). In order to be exploitable the software has to be (re)started after the attacker launch the exploit program, so for a service launched at startup, a service restart is needed (e.g. after a crash or an upgrade).

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2019-16784?: In PyInstaller before version 3.6, only on Windows, a local privilege escalation vulnerability is present in this particular case: If a software using PyInstaller in "onefile" mode is launched by a privileged user (at least more than the current one) which have his "TempPath" resolving to a world writable directory. This is the case for example if the software is launched as a service or as a scheduled task using a system account (TempPath will be C:\Windows\Temp). In order to be exploitable the software has to be (re)started after the attacker launch the exploit program, so for a service launched at startup, a service restart is needed (e.g. after a crash or an upgrade).
How severe is CVE-2019-16784?: CVE-2019-16784 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.0, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with high attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2019-16784 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (48th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2019-16784?: CVE-2019-16784 affects Pyinstaller. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2019-16784?: 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-2019-16784 published?: CVE-2019-16784 was published on 2020-01-14 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

https://github.com/pyinstaller/pyinstaller/security/advisories/GHSA-7fcj-pq9j-wh2r

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:pyinstaller:pyinstaller:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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