How severe is CVE-2019-19905?

CVE-2019-19905 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-2019-19905 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 3% (87th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2019-19905?

CVE-2019-19905 affects Nethack. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2019-19905?

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-2019-19905 published?

CVE-2019-19905 was published on 2019-12-19 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2019-19905

CVE-2019-19905 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Nethack with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8. 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-120.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.8)
CVSS v2: 7.5
EPSS exploit prediction: 3% (87th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-120
Affected product: Nethack
Published: 2019-12-19
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

NetHack 3.6.x before 3.6.4 is prone to a buffer overflow vulnerability when reading very long lines from configuration files. This affects systems that have NetHack installed suid/sgid, and shared systems that allow users to upload their own configuration files.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2019-19905?: NetHack 3.6.x before 3.6.4 is prone to a buffer overflow vulnerability when reading very long lines from configuration files. This affects systems that have NetHack installed suid/sgid, and shared systems that allow users to upload their own configuration files.
How severe is CVE-2019-19905?: CVE-2019-19905 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-2019-19905 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 3% (87th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2019-19905?: CVE-2019-19905 affects Nethack. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2019-19905?: 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-2019-19905 published?: CVE-2019-19905 was published on 2019-12-19 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:nethack:nethack:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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