How severe is CVE-2019-3820?

CVE-2019-3820 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.3, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over physical access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is low, integrity low, and availability low.

Is CVE-2019-3820 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (41st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2019-3820?

CVE-2019-3820 primarily affects Gnome Gnome-shell. In total, 6 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2019-3820?

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

When was CVE-2019-3820 published?

CVE-2019-3820 was published on 2019-02-06 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2019-3820

CVE-2019-3820 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Gnome Gnome-shell with a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.3. 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-287.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 4.3)
CVSS v2: 4.6
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (41st percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-287
Affected product: Gnome Gnome-shell
Published: 2019-02-06
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

It was discovered that the gnome-shell lock screen since version 3.15.91 did not properly restrict all contextual actions. An attacker with physical access to a locked workstation could invoke certain keyboard shortcuts, and potentially other actions.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2019-3820?: It was discovered that the gnome-shell lock screen since version 3.15.91 did not properly restrict all contextual actions. An attacker with physical access to a locked workstation could invoke certain keyboard shortcuts, and potentially other actions.
How severe is CVE-2019-3820?: CVE-2019-3820 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.3, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over physical access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is low, integrity low, and availability low.
Is CVE-2019-3820 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (41st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2019-3820?: CVE-2019-3820 primarily affects Gnome Gnome-shell. In total, 6 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2019-3820?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2019-3820 published?: CVE-2019-3820 was published on 2019-02-06 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (6)

cpe:2.3:a:gnome:gnome-shell:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:leap:15.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:leap:15.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:leap:42.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:18.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:18.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Gnome Gnome-shell

CVE-2017-8288 — High (CVSS 8.1): gnome-shell 3.22 through 3.24.1 mishandles extensions that fail to reload, which can lead to leaving extensions enabled…
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