# CVE-2019-20044: Privilege escalation in n/a

> Attackers with command execution can regain dropped privileges in Zsh by loading a malicious module, bypassing the --no-PRIVILEGED security feature.

- **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:** Yes
- **Published:** 24 Feb 2020
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** ALPINE-CVE-2019-20044, ALSA-2020:0903, CLSA-2025-1761673667, DEBIAN-CVE-2019-20044, DLA-2117-1, GHSA-gwf9-995r-26hx, MGASA-2020-0107, RHSA-2020:0853, RHSA-2020:0892, RHSA-2020:0903, RHSA-2020:0978, RLSA-2020:0903, UBUNTU-CVE-2019-20044

## What is CVE-2019-20044?

CVE-2019-20044 is a high-severity vulnerability in Apple Ipados, published on 24 Feb 2020. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In Zsh before 5.8, attackers able to execute commands can regain privileges dropped by the --no-PRIVILEGED option. Zsh fails to overwrite the saved uid, so the original privileges can be restored by executing MODULE_PATH=/dir/with/module zmodload with a module that calls setuid().

Weakness: CWE-273 (Improper Check for Dropped Privileges)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2019-20044?

It affects 8 products.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `zsh-html` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 5.5.1-6.el8_1.2 |
| `zsh` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | All versions | 0:4.3.11-11.el6_10 |
| `zsh-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | All versions | 0:4.3.11-11.el6_10 |
| `zsh-html` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | All versions | 0:4.3.11-11.el6_10 |
| `zsh` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::computenode | All versions | 0:4.3.11-11.el6_10 |
| `zsh-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::computenode | All versions | 0:4.3.11-11.el6_10 |
| `zsh-html` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::computenode | All versions | 0:4.3.11-11.el6_10 |
| `zsh` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | All versions | 0:4.3.11-11.el6_10 |
| `zsh-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | All versions | 0:4.3.11-11.el6_10 |
| `zsh-html` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | All versions | 0:4.3.11-11.el6_10 |
| `zsh` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::workstation | All versions | 0:4.3.11-11.el6_10 |
| `zsh-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::workstation | All versions | 0:4.3.11-11.el6_10 |
| `zsh-html` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::workstation | All versions | 0:4.3.11-11.el6_10 |
| `zsh` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | All versions | 0:5.0.2-34.el7_7.2 |
| `zsh-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | All versions | 0:5.0.2-34.el7_7.2 |
| `zsh-html` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | All versions | 0:5.0.2-34.el7_7.2 |
| `zsh` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::computenode | All versions | 0:5.0.2-34.el7_7.2 |
| `zsh-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::computenode | All versions | 0:5.0.2-34.el7_7.2 |
| `zsh-html` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::computenode | All versions | 0:5.0.2-34.el7_7.2 |
| `zsh` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server | All versions | 0:5.0.2-34.el7_7.2 |
| `zsh-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server | All versions | 0:5.0.2-34.el7_7.2 |
| `zsh-html` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server | All versions | 0:5.0.2-34.el7_7.2 |
| `zsh` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::workstation | All versions | 0:5.0.2-34.el7_7.2 |
| `zsh-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::workstation | All versions | 0:5.0.2-34.el7_7.2 |
| `zsh-html` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::workstation | All versions | 0:5.0.2-34.el7_7.2 |
| `zsh-html` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | All versions | 0:5.5.1-6.el8_1.2 |
| `zsh` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:5.5.1-6.el8_1.2 |
| `zsh-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:5.5.1-6.el8_1.2 |
| `zsh-debugsource` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:5.5.1-6.el8_1.2 |
| `zsh-html` | Red Hat:rhel_e4s:8.0::appstream | All versions | 0:5.5.1-6.el8_0.2 |
| `zsh` | Red Hat:rhel_e4s:8.0::baseos | All versions | 0:5.5.1-6.el8_0.2 |
| `zsh-debuginfo` | Red Hat:rhel_e4s:8.0::baseos | All versions | 0:5.5.1-6.el8_0.2 |
| `zsh-debugsource` | Red Hat:rhel_e4s:8.0::baseos | All versions | 0:5.5.1-6.el8_0.2 |
| `zsh` | Rocky Linux:8 | All versions | 0:5.5.1-6.el8_1.2 |

Products: Apple Ipados, Apple Iphone Os, Apple Mac Os X, Apple Tvos, Apple Watchos, Debian Debian Linux, Fedoraproject Fedora, Zsh Zsh.

## How do I fix CVE-2019-20044?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2019-20044 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-20044 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Apple Ipados

- [CVE-2025-43300](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-43300/): Apple iOS, iPadOS, and macOS Out-of-Bounds Write (critical 10.0, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-24201](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-24201/): Apple Multiple Products WebKit Out-of-Bounds Write (critical 10.0, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-24085](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-24085/): Apple Multiple Products Use-After-Free (critical 10.0, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-31200](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-31200/): Apple Multiple Products Memory Corruption (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-31201](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-31201/): Apple Multiple Products Arbitrary Read and Write (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2019-20044 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2019-20044 is a high-severity vulnerability in Apple Ipados, published on 24 Feb 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-2019-20044 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Apple Ipados. 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-2019-20044/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-20044/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2019-20044
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-20044
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2019-20044

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-20044/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.