CVE-2019-18659 Security feature bypass in n/a
Remote attackers can spoof Presidential Alerts on LTE phones due to lack of cryptographic authentication in the WEA protocol.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Not needed
- Attackable
- Over the internet
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- None listed
What is CVE-2019-18659?
CVE-2019-18659 is a medium-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 2 Nov 2019. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Official description
The Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) protocol allows remote attackers to spoof a Presidential Alert because cryptographic authentication is not used, as demonstrated by MessageIdentifier 4370 in LTE System Information Block 12 (aka SIB12). NOTE: testing inside an RF-isolated shield box suggested that all LTE phones are affected by design (e.g., use of Android versus iOS does not matter); testing in an open RF environment is, of course, contraindicated.
Weakness: CWE-290
Which versions are affected by CVE-2019-18659?
It affects 1 product.
Products include Ready Wireless Emergency Alerts.
How do I fix CVE-2019-18659?
No fix has been published for CVE-2019-18659 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.
Is CVE-2019-18659 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-18659 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as GHSA-qhvp-7mcr-9pj9.