# CVE-2019-1853: Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client for Linux Out-of-Bounds Memory Read Vulnerability

> Remote attackers can read sensitive information from Linux systems running Cisco AnyConnect via crafted HTTP traffic due to improper bounds checks.

- **Severity:** Medium 4.8 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 16 May 2019
- **Updated:** 21 Nov 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-g45c-cv5h-jw66

## What is CVE-2019-1853?

CVE-2019-1853 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Cisco Anyconnect Secure Mobility Client, published on 16 May 2019. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A vulnerability in the HostScan component of Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client for Linux could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to read sensitive information on an affected system. The vulnerability exists because the affected software performs improper bounds checks. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by crafting HTTP traffic for the affected component to download and process. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to read sensitive information on the affected system.

Weakness: CWE-125 (Out-of-bounds Read)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2019-1853?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Cisco Anyconnect Secure Mobility Client.

## How do I fix CVE-2019-1853?

No fix has been published for CVE-2019-1853 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2019-1853 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-1853 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Cisco Anyconnect Secure Mobility Client

- [CVE-2020-3433](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-3433/): Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client for Windows DLL Hijacking (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2020-3153](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-3153/): Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client for Windows Uncontrolled Search Path (medium 6.5, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2012-3088](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-3088/): Security feature bypass in n/a (critical 9.3)
- [CVE-2012-2493](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-2493/): Code injection in n/a (critical 9.3)
- [CVE-2011-2040](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2011-2040/): Code injection in n/a (critical 9.3)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2019-1853 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2019-1853 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Cisco Anyconnect Secure Mobility Client, published on 16 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-2019-1853 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Cisco Anyconnect Secure Mobility Client. 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-2019-1853/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-1853/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2019-1853
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-1853
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2019-1853

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-1853/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.