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Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2019-20838

🗓️ 04 Mar 2025 00:00:00Reported by TenableType 
nessus
 nessus
🔗 www.tenable.com👁 5 Views

Linux Distros have unpatched vulnerability CVE-2019-20838 related to libpcre package over-read issue.

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ReporterTitlePublishedViews
Family
IBM Security Bulletins
Security Bulletin: A security vulnerability has been identified inPCRE, which is a required product for IBM Tivoli Network Manager IP Edition (CVE-2019-20838)
4 Jan 202110:17
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Security Bulletin: IBM Aspera Console has addressed multiple PCRE and PCRE2 library vulnerabilities (CVE-2022-1587, CVE-2019-20838, CVE-2022-1586)
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14 Mar 202220:12
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IBM Security Bulletins
Security Bulletin: IBM Aspera Shares is vulnerable to multiple high severity vulnerabilities (CVE-2022-1586, CVE-2022-4304, CVE-2023-0215, CVE-2023-0286, CVE-2019-20838, CVE-2022-2068, CVE-2022-1587)
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IBM Security Bulletins
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Tenable Nessus
Alibaba Cloud Linux 3 : 0050: pcre2 (ALINUX3-SA-2022:0050)
14 May 202500:00
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#%NASL_MIN_LEVEL 80900
##
# (C) Tenable, Inc.
##

include('compat.inc');

if (description)
{
  script_id(222727);
  script_version("1.6");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_modification_date", value:"2026/01/29");

  script_cve_id("CVE-2019-20838");

  script_name(english:"Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2019-20838");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"synopsis", value:
"The Linux/Unix host has one or more packages installed with a vulnerability that the vendor indicates will not be
patched.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"description", value:
"The Linux/Unix host has one or more packages installed that are impacted by a vulnerability without a vendor supplied
patch available.

  - libpcre in PCRE before 8.43 allows a subject buffer over-read in JIT when UTF is disabled, and \X or \R
    has more than one fixed quantifier, a related issue to CVE-2019-20454. (CVE-2019-20838)

Note that Nessus relies on the presence of the package as reported by the vendor.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"see_also", value:"https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2019-20838");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"see_also", value:"https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2019-20838");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"solution", value:
"There is no known solution at this time.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"agent", value:"unix");
  script_set_cvss_base_vector("CVSS2#AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P");
  script_set_cvss_temporal_vector("CVSS2#E:U/RL:U/RC:C");
  script_set_cvss3_base_vector("CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H");
  script_set_cvss3_temporal_vector("CVSS:3.0/E:U/RL:U/RC:C");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cvss_score_source", value:"CVE-2019-20838");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploitability_ease", value:"No known exploits are available");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploit_available", value:"false");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"vendor_unpatched", value:"true");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"vuln_publication_date", value:"2020/06/15");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_publication_date", value:"2025/03/04");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_type", value:"local");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:24.04:-:lts");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:25.04");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:25.10");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:debian:debian_linux:11.0");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:debian:debian_linux:12.0");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:pcre3");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:debian:debian_linux:pcre3");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"generated_plugin", value:"current");
  script_end_attributes();

  script_category(ACT_GATHER_INFO);
  script_family(english:"Misc.");

  script_copyright(english:"This script is Copyright (C) 2025-2026 and is owned by Tenable, Inc. or an Affiliate thereof.");

  script_dependencies("set_linux_os_id.nasl", "ssh_get_info2.nasl");
  script_require_keys("Host/OS/identifier", "Host/cpu", "Host/local_checks_enabled", "global_settings/vendor_unpatched");
  script_require_ports("Host/OS/Debian Linux-11", "Host/OS/Debian Linux-12", "Host/OS/Ubuntu Linux-24.04", "Host/OS/Ubuntu Linux-25.04", "Host/OS/Ubuntu Linux-25.10");

  exit(0);
}

if (!get_kb_item("global_settings/vendor_unpatched")) exit(0, "Unpatched Vulnerabilities Detection not active.");
if (!get_kb_item("Host/local_checks_enabled")) audit(AUDIT_LOCAL_CHECKS_NOT_ENABLED);
if (empty_or_null(get_one_kb_item("Host/Debian/dpkg-l"))) audit(AUDIT_PACKAGE_LIST_MISSING);

include('linux_unpatched.inc');

var distro_constraints_array = {
  "Debian Linux-11": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "11",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "libpcre16-3"},
          {"reference": "libpcre3"},
          {"reference": "libpcre3-dbg"},
          {"reference": "libpcre3-dev"},
          {"reference": "libpcre3-udeb"},
          {"reference": "libpcre32-3"},
          {"reference": "libpcrecpp0v5"},
          {"reference": "pcregrep"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "Debian Linux-12": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "12",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "libpcre16-3"},
          {"reference": "libpcre3"},
          {"reference": "libpcre3-dbg"},
          {"reference": "libpcre3-dev"},
          {"reference": "libpcre3-udeb"},
          {"reference": "libpcre32-3"},
          {"reference": "libpcrecpp0v5"},
          {"reference": "pcregrep"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "Ubuntu Linux-24.04": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "24.04",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "pcre3"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "Ubuntu Linux-25.04": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "25.04",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "pcre3"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "Ubuntu Linux-25.10": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "25.10",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "pcre3"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
};

var distro_constraints_values = linux_unpatched::get_distro_constraints(distro_constraints_arr:distro_constraints_array);
if (empty_or_null(distro_constraints_values)) audit(AUDIT_HOST_NOT, 'affected');
var report = linux_unpatched::check_unpatched_constraints(distro_constraints_values:distro_constraints_values);

if (!empty_or_null(report))
{
  security_report_v4(
      port       : 0,
      severity   : SECURITY_WARNING,
      extra      : report
  );
  exit(0);
}
else
{
  audit(AUDIT_HOST_NOT, 'affected');
}

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29 Jan 2026 00:00Current
7High risk
Vulners AI Score7
CVSS 25
CVSS 3.17.5
CVSS 35.1
EPSS0.00234
5