# CVE-2019-14819: Privilege escalation in openshift-ansible

> An unprivileged user can escalate privileges to privileged Security Context Constraints during an OpenShift cluster upgrade via CRI-O.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 7 Jan 2020
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-37jw-xgjq-3fmq, RHSA-2019:2818

## What is CVE-2019-14819?

CVE-2019-14819 is a high-severity vulnerability in Redhat Openshift Container Platform, published on 7 Jan 2020. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A flaw was found during the upgrade of an existing OpenShift Container Platform 3.x cluster. Using CRI-O, the dockergc service account is assigned to the current namespace of the user performing the upgrade. This flaw can allow an unprivileged user to escalate their privileges to those allowed by the privileged Security Context Constraints.

Weakness: CWE-269 (Improper Privilege Management), CWE-270 (Privilege Context Switching Error), CWE-266 (Incorrect Privilege Assignment)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2019-14819?

It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `openshift-ansible` | Red Hat:openshift:3.11::el7 | All versions | 0:3.11.146-1.git.0.fcedb45.el7 |
| `openshift-ansible-docs` | Red Hat:openshift:3.11::el7 | All versions | 0:3.11.146-1.git.0.fcedb45.el7 |
| `openshift-ansible-playbooks` | Red Hat:openshift:3.11::el7 | All versions | 0:3.11.146-1.git.0.fcedb45.el7 |
| `openshift-ansible-roles` | Red Hat:openshift:3.11::el7 | All versions | 0:3.11.146-1.git.0.fcedb45.el7 |
| `openshift-ansible-test` | Red Hat:openshift:3.11::el7 | All versions | 0:3.11.146-1.git.0.fcedb45.el7 |

Products: Redhat Openshift Container Platform.

## How do I fix CVE-2019-14819?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2019-14819 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-14819 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Redhat Openshift Container Platform

- [CVE-2020-27836](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-27836/): Missing authorization in cluster-ingress-operator (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2018-1085](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-1085/): Misconfiguration in openshift-ansible (critical 9.0)
- [CVE-2026-54099](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-54099/): Privilege escalation in Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2026-1784](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-1784/): Ose-cluster-ingress-operator: remote code execution through haproxy configuration injection (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2021-20182](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-20182/): Privilege escalation in openshift (high 8.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2019-14819 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2019-14819 is a high-severity vulnerability in Redhat Openshift Container Platform, published on 7 Jan 2020. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-14819 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Redhat Openshift Container Platform. 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-2019-14819/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-14819/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2019-14819
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-14819
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2019-14819

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-14819/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.