How severe is CVE-2019-3838?

CVE-2019-3838 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability none.

Is CVE-2019-3838 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 3% (84th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2019-3838?

CVE-2019-3838 primarily affects Redhat Ansible Tower. In total, 17 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2019-3838?

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

When was CVE-2019-3838 published?

CVE-2019-3838 was published on 2019-03-25 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2019-3838

CVE-2019-3838 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Redhat Ansible Tower with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5. 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-648.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 5.5)
CVSS v2: 4.3
EPSS exploit prediction: 3% (84th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-648
Affected product: Redhat Ansible Tower
Published: 2019-03-25
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

It was found that the forceput operator could be extracted from the DefineResource method in ghostscript before 9.27. A specially crafted PostScript file could use this flaw in order to, for example, have access to the file system outside of the constrains imposed by -dSAFER.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2019-3838?: It was found that the forceput operator could be extracted from the DefineResource method in ghostscript before 9.27. A specially crafted PostScript file could use this flaw in order to, for example, have access to the file system outside of the constrains imposed by -dSAFER.
How severe is CVE-2019-3838?: CVE-2019-3838 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability none.
Is CVE-2019-3838 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 3% (84th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2019-3838?: CVE-2019-3838 primarily affects Redhat Ansible Tower. In total, 17 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2019-3838?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2019-3838 published?: CVE-2019-3838 was published on 2019-03-25 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (17)

cpe:2.3:a:artifex:ghostscript:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:redhat:ansible_tower:3.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux:5.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux:6.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_desktop:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_aus:7.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_eus:7.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_tus:7.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_workstation:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:28:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:29:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:30:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:leap:15.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:leap:42.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Redhat Ansible Tower

CVE-2018-16879 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): Ansible Tower before version 3.3.3 does not set a secure channel as it is using the default insecure configuration…
CVE-2018-17456 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): Git before 2.14.5, 2.15.x before 2.15.3, 2.16.x before 2.16.5, 2.17.x before 2.17.2, 2.18.x before 2.18.1, and 2.19.x…
CVE-2015-9262 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): _XcursorThemeInherits in library.c in libXcursor before 1.1.15 allows remote attackers to cause denial of service or…
CVE-2018-12910 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): The get_cookies function in soup-cookie-jar.c in libsoup 2.63.2 allows attackers to have unspecified impact via an…
CVE-2021-4112 — High (CVSS 8.8): A flaw was found in ansible-tower where the default installation is vulnerable to job isolation escape. This flaw…
CVE-2018-1000805 — High (CVSS 8.8): Paramiko version 2.4.1, 2.3.2, 2.2.3, 2.1.5, 2.0.8, 1.18.5, 1.17.6 contains a Incorrect Access Control vulnerability in…

All CVEs affecting Redhat Ansible Tower →

Other CWE-648 vulnerabilities

CVE-2026-41329 — Critical (CVSS 9.9): OpenClaw before 2026.3.31 contains a sandbox bypass vulnerability allowing attackers to escalate privileges via…
CVE-2024-8785 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): In WhatsUp Gold versions released before 2024.0.1, a remote unauthenticated attacker could leverage NmAPI.exe to…
CVE-2024-11068 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): The D-Link DSL6740C modem has an Incorrect Use of Privileged APIs vulnerability, allowing unauthenticated remote…
CVE-2023-4972 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): Incorrect Use of Privileged APIs vulnerability in Yepas Digital Yepas allows Collect Data as Provided by Users. This…
CVE-2026-41225 — Critical (CVSS 9.1): A vulnerability exists in iControl REST where a highly privileged, authenticated attacker with at least the Manager…
CVE-2026-41386 — Critical (CVSS 9.1): OpenClaw before 2026.3.22 contains a privilege escalation vulnerability where bootstrap setup codes are not bound to…

Browse all CWE-648 vulnerabilities →