# CVE-2019-16159: Memory corruption in n/a

> A stack-based buffer overflow in BIRD allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service via crafted BGP shutdown messages.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 9 Sep 2019
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2019-16159, GHSA-3fhp-jv43-7m9c, openSUSE-SU-2019:2178-1, openSUSE-SU-2019:2180-1, openSUSE-SU-2024:10652-1, openSUSE-SU-2025:15072-1

## What is CVE-2019-16159?

CVE-2019-16159 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 9 Sep 2019. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

BIRD Internet Routing Daemon 1.6.x through 1.6.7 and 2.x through 2.0.5 has a stack-based buffer overflow. The BGP daemon's support for RFC 8203 administrative shutdown communication messages included an incorrect logical expression when checking the validity of an input message. Sending a shutdown communication with a sufficient message length causes a four-byte overflow to occur while processing the message, where two of the overflow bytes are attacker-controlled and two are fixed.

Weakness: CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2019-16159?

It affects 4 products.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `bird` | SUSE:Package Hub 15 SP1 | All versions | 1.6.8-bp151.2.3.1 |
| `bird` | openSUSE:Leap 15.1 | All versions | 1.6.8-lp151.2.3.1 |
| `bird3` | openSUSE:Tumbleweed | All versions | 3.1.0-1.1 |

Products: Debian Debian Linux, Fedoraproject Fedora, Nic Bird, Opensuse Backports Sle.

## How do I fix CVE-2019-16159?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2019-16159 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-16159 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-2019-16159 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2019-16159 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 9 Sep 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-2019-16159 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-2019-16159/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-16159/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2019-16159
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-16159
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2019-16159

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-16159/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.