# CVE-2019-18397: Memory corruption in n/a > A buffer overflow in GNU FriBidi allows attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service via crafted text content rendered by applications using the library. - **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`) - **Exploited in the wild:** Not known - **Login needed:** Not needed - **Attackable:** Local or same network only - **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something - **Fix available:** Yes - **Published:** 13 Nov 2019 - **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024 - **Also known as:** ALPINE-CVE-2019-18397, DEBIAN-CVE-2019-18397, DSA-4561-1, GHSA-fcm8-q275-jqv2, JLSEC-2025-169, MGASA-2019-0325, RHSA-2019:4326, RHSA-2019:4361, RHSA-2020:0291, SUSE-SU-2021:1655-1, openSUSE-SU-2021:0763-1, openSUSE-SU-2021:1655-1, openSUSE-SU-2024:10772-1 ## What is CVE-2019-18397? CVE-2019-18397 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 13 Nov 2019. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link. ### Official description A buffer overflow in the fribidi_get_par_embedding_levels_ex() function in lib/fribidi-bidi.c of GNU FriBidi through 1.0.7 allows an attacker to cause a denial of service or possibly execute arbitrary code by delivering crafted text content to a user, when this content is then rendered by an application that uses FriBidi for text layout calculations. Examples include any GNOME or GTK+ based application that uses Pango for text layout, as this internally uses FriBidi for bidirectional text layout. For example, the attacker can construct a crafted text file to be opened in GEdit, or a crafted IRC message to be viewed in HexChat. Weakness: CWE-120 (Buffer Copy without Checking Size of Input) ## Which versions are affected by CVE-2019-18397? It affects 2 products. | Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | `fribidi` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | All versions | 0:1.0.2-1.el7_7.1 | | `fribidi-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | All versions | 0:1.0.2-1.el7_7.1 | | `fribidi-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | All versions | 0:1.0.2-1.el7_7.1 | | `fribidi` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::computenode | All versions | 0:1.0.2-1.el7_7.1 | | `fribidi-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::computenode | All versions | 0:1.0.2-1.el7_7.1 | | `fribidi-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::computenode | All versions | 0:1.0.2-1.el7_7.1 | | `fribidi` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server | All versions | 0:1.0.2-1.el7_7.1 | | `fribidi-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server | All versions | 0:1.0.2-1.el7_7.1 | | `fribidi-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server | All versions | 0:1.0.2-1.el7_7.1 | | `fribidi` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::workstation | All versions | 0:1.0.2-1.el7_7.1 | | `fribidi-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::workstation | All versions | 0:1.0.2-1.el7_7.1 | | `fribidi-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::workstation | All versions | 0:1.0.2-1.el7_7.1 | | `fribidi` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | All versions | 0:1.0.4-7.el8_1 | | `fribidi-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | All versions | 0:1.0.4-7.el8_1 | | `fribidi-debugsource` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | All versions | 0:1.0.4-7.el8_1 | | `fribidi-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | All versions | 0:1.0.4-7.el8_1 | | `fribidi` | Red Hat:rhel_e4s:8.0::appstream | All versions | 0:1.0.4-6.el8_0.1 | | `fribidi-debuginfo` | Red Hat:rhel_e4s:8.0::appstream | All versions | 0:1.0.4-6.el8_0.1 | | `fribidi-debugsource` | Red Hat:rhel_e4s:8.0::appstream | All versions | 0:1.0.4-6.el8_0.1 | | `fribidi-devel` | Red Hat:rhel_e4s:8.0::appstream | All versions | 0:1.0.4-6.el8_0.1 | | `fribidi` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Micro 5.0 | All versions | 1.0.5-3.3.1 | | `fribidi` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP2 | All versions | 1.0.5-3.3.1 | | `fribidi` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP3 | All versions | 1.0.5-3.3.1 | | `fribidi` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Desktop Applications 15 SP2 | All versions | 1.0.5-3.3.1 | | `fribidi` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Desktop Applications 15 SP3 | All versions | 1.0.5-3.3.1 | | `fribidi` | openSUSE:Leap 15.2 | All versions | 1.0.5-lp152.2.3.1 | | `fribidi` | openSUSE:Leap 15.3 | All versions | 1.0.5-3.3.1 | | `fribidi` | openSUSE:Tumbleweed | All versions | 1.0.10-2.1 | Products: Debian Debian Linux, Gnu Fribidi. ## How do I fix CVE-2019-18397? Upgrade to a fixed version. ## Is CVE-2019-18397 being exploited? There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-18397 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-2019-18397 and fix it if it is affected. What it is: CVE-2019-18397 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 13 Nov 2019. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link. Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-18397 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-2019-18397/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-18397/index.md) ``` ## Sources - CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2019-18397 - NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-18397 - OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2019-18397 --- From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-18397/ Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.