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Fencer Intel
critical 9.0

CVE-2019-10149 kev in the critical feed json

A flaw was found in Exim versions 4.87 to 4.91 (inclusive).

published 2019-06-05 7 y ago modified 2026-06-17 4 mo ago also EUVD-2019-2187

cvss
9.0
version 3.0, CNA
cisa kev
Exploited
added 2022-01-10
epss
100.0%
EPSS 100.0% chance of exploitation in 30 days, percentile 99.9%
public exploits
4
Metasploit, Exploit-DB

Summary

A flaw was found in Exim versions 4.87 to 4.91 (inclusive). Improper validation of recipient address in deliver_message() function in /src/deliver.c may lead to remote command execution.

Patch / fix

cisa required action Apply updates per vendor instructions.

  • exim4 Debian 14, Debian 13, Debian 12 4.92~RC3-1

debian advisories DEBIAN-CVE-2019-10149

  • exim4 Ubuntu 18.04 LTS 4.90.1-1ubuntu1.2

ubuntu advisories UBUNTU-CVE-2019-10149

Ubuntu security data © Canonical Ltd., from https://github.com/canonical/ubuntu-security-notices via OSV; changed: normalised to fixed package versions per release. CC BY-SA 4.0

  • exim openSUSE Tumbleweed 4.94.2-4.2
  • exim Package Hub 15 SP1 4.94.2-bp151.2.4.1
  • libspf2 Package Hub 15 SP1 1.2.10-bp151.4.1
  • exim openSUSE Leap 15.1, openSUSE Leap 15.0 4.88-lp151.4.3.1

opensuse advisories openSUSE-SU-2024:10746-1openSUSE-SU-2021:0753-1openSUSE-SU-2019:1524-1

  • exim Alpine 3.24, Alpine 3.23, Alpine 3.22 +13 more 4.92-r0
  • exim Alpine 3.8 4.91-r2

alpine advisories ALPINE-CVE-2019-10149

Alpine secdb © Alpine Linux, from https://secdb.alpinelinux.org via OSV; changed: normalised to fixed package versions per release. CC BY-SA 4.0

  • exim Arch Linux 4.92-1

arch linux advisories AVG-982

Vendor advisories

What the vendors themselves say about their products: affected, fixed or not affected, and what to do.

red hat product security vex CVE-2019-10149 updated cvss 9.0

exim: Remote command execution in deliver_message() function in /src/deliver.c

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 exim
    not affected: vulnerable code not present

Red Hat CSAF VEX © Red Hat, Inc., from https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/; changed: reduced to product statuses and remediations. CC BY 4.0 · csaf

Timeline

  1. Published
  2. First public exploit (Metasploit exploit/linux/local/exim4_deliver_message_priv_esc)
  3. Added to CISA KEV
  4. CISA patch deadline
  5. CISA SSVC: exploitation active

Known exploited

Added
4 y ago
Patch by
2022-07-10 (4 y ago)
Ransomware
Not known
Required action
Apply updates per vendor instructions.
Vendor, product
Exim, Mail Transfer Agent (MTA)
CISA name
Exim Mail Transfer Agent (MTA) Improper Input Validation

CISA SSVC

Exploitation
Active, exploited in the wild
Automatable
no
Technical impact
total
Assessed
21 mo ago

Exploit prediction

99.96% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 99.9% of all scored CVEs (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-09).

Exploits and checks

  • Metasploit exploit/linux/local/exim4_deliver_message_priv_esc Exim 4.87 - 4.91 Local Privilege Escalation metasploit exploit, excellent rank, 2019-06-05
  • EDB-47307 Exim 4.87 / 4.91 - Local Privilege Escalation (Metasploit) local, 2019-08-26
  • EDB-46996 Exim 4.87 - 4.91 - Local Privilege Escalation local, 2019-06-17
  • EDB-46974 Exim 4.87 < 4.91 - (Local / Remote) Command Execution remote, 2019-06-05
  • openwall.com http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2019/06/05/4 referenced PoC, tagged "exploit" by a source, unverified
  • openwall.com http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2019/06/06/1 referenced PoC, tagged "exploit" by a source, unverified
  • packetstormsecurity.com http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/153218/Exim-4.9.1-Remote-Command-Execution.html referenced PoC, tagged "exploit" by a source, unverified
  • packetstormsecurity.com http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/153312/Exim-4.91-Local-Privilege-Escalation.html referenced PoC, tagged "exploit" by a source, unverified
  • packetstormsecurity.com http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/154198/Exim-4.91-Local-Privilege-Escalation.html referenced PoC, tagged "exploit" by a source, unverified

CVSS scores

assigned by version score vector
CNA 3.0 9.0 CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
NVD 3.1 9.8 CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
NVD 2.0 10.0 AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

Affected products

  • exim exim

Classification

Weakness
  • CWE-78 Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command

References

Sources

Fencer Intel keeps one entry per vulnerability: the CVE id wins, then GHSA, and records that alias each other are merged, except that two CVEs always keep separate entries. The same data is available as JSON.