# CVE-2019-18897: Local privilege escalation from user salt to root

> Local attackers can escalate privileges from user salt to root via symlink following in SUSE salt-master packaging.

- **Severity:** High 8.4 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/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:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 2 Mar 2020
- **Updated:** 17 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-p48p-8wh6-cj6f, SUSE-SU-2020:0762-1, SUSE-SU-2020:0763-1

## What is CVE-2019-18897?

CVE-2019-18897 is a high-severity vulnerability in Opensuse Leap, published on 2 Mar 2020. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A UNIX Symbolic Link (Symlink) Following vulnerability in the packaging of salt of SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15; openSUSE Factory allows local attackers to escalate privileges from user salt to root. This issue affects: SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 salt-master version 2019.2.0-46.83.1 and prior versions. SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 salt-master version 2019.2.0-6.21.1 and prior versions. openSUSE Factory salt-master version 2019.2.2-3.1 and prior versions.

Weakness: CWE-59 (Improper Link Resolution Before File Access)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2019-18897?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Opensuse Leap, Suse Linux Enterprise Server.

## How do I fix CVE-2019-18897?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2019-18897 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-18897 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Opensuse Leap

- [CVE-2015-4902](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-4902/): Oracle Java SE Integrity Check (medium 5.3, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2017-14804](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-14804/): package builds could use directory traversal to write outside of target area (critical 9.9)
- [CVE-2019-20787](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-20787/): Teeworlds before 0.7.4 has an integer overflow when computing a tilemap size. (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2019-8341](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-8341/): Code injection in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2019-6438](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-6438/): Other in n/a (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2019-18897 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2019-18897 is a high-severity vulnerability in Opensuse Leap, published on 2 Mar 2020. 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-2019-18897 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Opensuse Leap. 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-2019-18897/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-18897/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2019-18897
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-18897
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2019-18897

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-18897/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.