# CVE-2019-12098: Security feature bypass in n/a

> Failure to verify PKINIT key exchange in Heimdal client allows man-in-the-middle attacks, bypassing authentication security features.

- **Severity:** High 7.4 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 15 May 2019
- **Updated:** 15 Apr 2026
- **Also known as:** ALPINE-CVE-2019-12098, DEBIAN-CVE-2019-12098, GHSA-pfc3-2w85-9453, UBUNTU-CVE-2019-12098

## What is CVE-2019-12098?

CVE-2019-12098 is a high-severity vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 15 May 2019. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In the client side of Heimdal before 7.6.0, failure to verify anonymous PKINIT PA-PKINIT-KX key exchange permits a man-in-the-middle attack. This issue is in krb5_init_creds_step in lib/krb5/init_creds_pw.c.

Weakness: CWE-295 (Improper Certificate Validation)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2019-12098?

It affects 5 products.


Products: Debian Debian Linux, Fedoraproject Fedora, Heimdal Project Heimdal, Opensuse Backports Sle, Opensuse Leap.

## How do I fix CVE-2019-12098?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2019-12098 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-12098 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Debian Debian Linux

- [CVE-2015-3306](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-3306/): ProFTPD Improper Access Control (critical 10.0, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-49113](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-49113/): RoundCube Webmail Deserialization of Untrusted Data (critical 9.9, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-24061](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-24061/): GNU InetUtils Argument Injection (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-39682](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-39682/): Linux Kernel Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-9680](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-9680/): Mozilla Firefox Use-After-Free (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2019-12098 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2019-12098 is a high-severity vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 15 May 2019. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-12098 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Debian Debian Linux. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-12098/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-12098/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2019-12098
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-12098
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2019-12098

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-12098/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.