How severe is CVE-2019-9896?

CVE-2019-9896 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2019-9896 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (51st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2019-9896?

CVE-2019-9896 primarily affects Putty. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2019-9896?

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-2019-9896 published?

CVE-2019-9896 was published on 2019-03-21 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2019-9896

CVE-2019-9896 is a high-severity vulnerability in Putty with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8. 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-427.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
CVSS v2: 4.6
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (51st percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-427
Affected product: Putty
Published: 2019-03-21
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

In PuTTY versions before 0.71 on Windows, local attackers could hijack the application by putting a malicious help file in the same directory as the executable.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2019-9896?: In PuTTY versions before 0.71 on Windows, local attackers could hijack the application by putting a malicious help file in the same directory as the executable.
How severe is CVE-2019-9896?: CVE-2019-9896 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2019-9896 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (51st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2019-9896?: CVE-2019-9896 primarily affects Putty. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2019-9896?: 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-2019-9896 published?: CVE-2019-9896 was published on 2019-03-21 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (3)

cpe:2.3:a:putty:putty:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:opensuse:backports_sle:15.0:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:leap:15.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Putty

CVE-2004-1008 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Integer signedness error in the ssh2_rdpkt function in PuTTY before 0.56 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary…
CVE-2002-1358 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Multiple SSH2 servers and clients do not properly handle lists with empty elements or strings, which may allow remote…
CVE-2002-1357 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Multiple SSH2 servers and clients do not properly handle packets or data elements with incorrect length specifiers,…
CVE-2002-1359 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Multiple SSH2 servers and clients do not properly handle large packets or large fields, which may allow remote…
CVE-2002-1360 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Multiple SSH2 servers and clients do not properly handle strings with null characters in them when the string length is…
CVE-2019-17067 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): PuTTY before 0.73 on Windows improperly opens port-forwarding listening sockets, which allows attackers to listen on…

All CVEs affecting Putty →

Other CWE-427 (Uncontrolled Search Path Element) vulnerabilities

CVE-2025-4981 — Critical (CVSS 9.9): Mattermost versions 10.5.x <= 10.5.5, 9.11.x <= 9.11.15, 10.8.x <= 10.8.0, 10.7.x <= 10.7.2, 10.6.x <= 10.6.5 fail to…
CVE-2025-69599 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): RayVentory Scan Engine through 12.6 Update 8 allows attackers to gain privileges if they control the value of the PATH…
CVE-2019-25268 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): NREL BEopt 2.8.0.0 contains a DLL hijacking vulnerability that allows attackers to load arbitrary libraries by tricking…
CVE-2023-53959 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): FileZilla Client 3.63.1 contains a DLL hijacking vulnerability that allows attackers to execute malicious code by…
CVE-2025-65741 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): Sublime Text 3 Build 3208 or prior for MacOS is vulnerable to Dylib Injection. An attacker could compile a .dylib file…
CVE-2024-23054 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): An issue in Plone Docker Official Image 5.2.13 (5221) open-source software that could allow for remote code execution…

Browse all CWE-427 (Uncontrolled Search Path Element) vulnerabilities →