How severe is CVE-2019-20457?

CVE-2019-20457 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.1, 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 none.

Is CVE-2019-20457 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (50th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2019-20457?

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.

Does CVE-2019-20457 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?

Yes. CVE-2019-20457 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2019-11002.

When was CVE-2019-20457 published?

CVE-2019-20457 was published on 2024-11-07 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2019-20457

CVE-2019-20457 is a critical-severity vulnerability with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.1. 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-276.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.1)
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (50th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
EU (EUVD) id: EUVD-2019-11002
Weakness: CWE-276
Published: 2024-11-07
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

An issue was discovered on Brother MFC-J491DW C1806180757 devices. The printer's web-interface password hash can be retrieved without authentication, because the response header of any failed login attempt returns an incomplete authorization cookie. The value of the authorization cookie is the MD5 hash of the password in hexadecimal. An attacker can easily derive the true MD5 hash from this, and use offline cracking attacks to obtain administrative access to the device.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2019-20457?: An issue was discovered on Brother MFC-J491DW C1806180757 devices. The printer's web-interface password hash can be retrieved without authentication, because the response header of any failed login attempt returns an incomplete authorization cookie. The value of the authorization cookie is the MD5 hash of the password in hexadecimal. An attacker can easily derive the true MD5 hash from this, and use offline cracking attacks to obtain administrative access to the device.
How severe is CVE-2019-20457?: CVE-2019-20457 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.1, 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 none.
Is CVE-2019-20457 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (50th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How do I fix CVE-2019-20457?: 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.
Does CVE-2019-20457 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?: Yes. CVE-2019-20457 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2019-11002.
When was CVE-2019-20457 published?: CVE-2019-20457 was published on 2024-11-07 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Other CWE-276 (Incorrect Default Permissions) vulnerabilities

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CVE-2020-29492 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Dell Wyse ThinOS 8.6 and prior versions contain an insecure default configuration vulnerability. A remote…
CVE-2020-29491 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Dell Wyse ThinOS 8.6 and prior versions contain an insecure default configuration vulnerability. A remote…
CVE-2025-40585 — Critical (CVSS 9.9): A vulnerability has been identified in Energy Services (All versions with G5DFR). Affected solutions using G5DFR…
CVE-2019-19896 — Critical (CVSS 9.9): In IXP EasyInstall 6.2.13723, there is Remote Code Execution via weak permissions on the Engine Service share. The…
CVE-2020-37129 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): Memu Play 7.1.3 contains an insecure folder permissions vulnerability that allows low-privileged users to modify the…

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