# CVE-2019-18915: Privilege escalation in HP System Event Utility

> A local attacker can execute arbitrary code via the HP System Event Utility service, potentially escalating privileges.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 12 Feb 2020
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-cqwx-f579-rfmc

## What is CVE-2019-18915?

CVE-2019-18915 is a high-severity vulnerability in HP System Event Utility, published on 12 Feb 2020. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A potential security vulnerability has been identified with certain versions of HP System Event Utility prior to version 1.4.33. This vulnerability may allow a local attacker to execute arbitrary code via an HP System Event Utility system service.

Weakness: CWE-428 (Unquoted Search Path or Element)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2019-18915?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Hp System Event Utility.

## How do I fix CVE-2019-18915?

No fix has been published for CVE-2019-18915 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2019-18915 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2019-18915 exists.

Public exploit code:

- HP System Event Utility - Local Privilege Escalation (exploitdb)

## Other vulnerabilities in HP System Event Utility

- [CVE-2026-2915](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-2915/): HP System Event Utility – Denial of Service (medium 5.2)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2019-18915 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2019-18915 is a high-severity vulnerability in HP System Event Utility, published on 12 Feb 2020. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2019-18915 exists.

Affected product: HP System Event Utility. 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-2019-18915/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-18915/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2019-18915
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-18915
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2019-18915

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-18915/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.