# CVE-2019-1552: Windows builds with insecure path defaults

> Insecure default paths on Windows allow untrusted users to modify OpenSSL configuration and certificates, enabling privilege escalation or security bypass.

- **Severity:** Low 3.3 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 30 Jul 2019
- **Updated:** 16 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-f22q-2wx9-9qgh, JLSEC-2026-217

## What is CVE-2019-1552?

CVE-2019-1552 is a low-severity vulnerability in Openssl Openssl, published on 30 Jul 2019. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

OpenSSL has internal defaults for a directory tree where it can find a configuration file as well as certificates used for verification in TLS. This directory is most commonly referred to as OPENSSLDIR, and is configurable with the --prefix / --openssldir configuration options. For OpenSSL versions 1.1.0 and 1.1.1, the mingw configuration targets assume that resulting programs and libraries are installed in a Unix-like environment and the default prefix for program installation as well as for OPENSSLDIR should be '/usr/local'. However, mingw programs are Windows programs, and as such, find themselves looking at sub-directories of 'C:/usr/local', which may be world writable, which enables untrusted users to modify OpenSSL's default configuration, insert CA certificates, modify (or even replace) existing engine modules, etc. For OpenSSL 1.0.2, '/usr/local/ssl' is used as default for OPENSSLDIR on all Unix and Windows targets, including Visual C builds. However, some build instructions for the diverse Windows targets on 1.0.2 encourage you to specify your own --prefix. OpenSSL versions 1.1.1, 1.1.0 and 1.0.2 are affected by this issue. Due to the limited scope of affected deployments this has been assessed as low severity and therefore we are not creating new releases at this time. Fixed in OpenSSL 1.1.1d (Affected 1.1.1-1.1.1c). Fixed in OpenSSL 1.1.0l (Affected 1.1.0-1.1.0k). Fixed in OpenSSL 1.0.2t (Affected 1.0.2-1.0.2s).

Weakness: CWE-295 (Improper Certificate Validation)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2019-1552?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Openssl Openssl.

## How do I fix CVE-2019-1552?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2019-1552 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-1552 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Openssl Openssl

- [CVE-2009-3245](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-3245/): Null dereference in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2006-3738](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2006-3738/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2026-63073](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-63073/): Untrusted Sender DN Used as Format String in CMP Response Validation (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2016-6309](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-6309/): Use after free in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2016-0799](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-0799/): Integer overflow in n/a (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2019-1552 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2019-1552 is a low-severity vulnerability in Openssl Openssl, published on 30 Jul 2019. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-1552 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Openssl Openssl. 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-2019-1552/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-1552/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2019-1552
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-1552
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2019-1552

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-1552/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.