# CVE-2019-3696: pcp: Local privilege escalation from user pcp to root through migrate_tempdirs

> Local attackers can exploit a path traversal flaw in pcp to overwrite arbitrary files, leading to privilege escalation to root.

- **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:** 3 Mar 2020
- **Updated:** 16 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-crq2-xjm7-62p8

## What is CVE-2019-3696?

CVE-2019-3696 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15-ESPOS, published on 3 Mar 2020. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory vulnerability in the packaging of pcp of SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15-ESPOS, SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15-LTSS, SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15, SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15-SP1, SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Open Buildservice Development Tools 15, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15-LTSS, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP 15, SUSE Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 12-SP4, SUSE Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 12-SP5; openSUSE Leap 15.1 allows local user pcp to overwrite arbitrary files with arbitrary content. This issue affects: SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15-ESPOS pcp versions prior to 3.11.9-5.8.1. SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15-LTSS pcp versions prior to 3.11.9-5.8.1. SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15 pcp versions prior to 3.11.9-5.8.1. SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15-SP1 pcp versions prior to 4.3.1-3.5.3. SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Open Buildservice Development Tools 15 pcp versions prior to 3.11.9-5.8.1. SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15-LTSS pcp versions prior to 3.11.9-5.8.1. SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP 15 pcp versions prior to 3.11.9-5.8.1. SUSE Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 12-SP4 pcp versions prior to 3.11.9-6.14.1. SUSE Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 12-SP5 pcp versions prior to 3.11.9-6.14.1. openSUSE Leap 15.1 pcp versions prior to 4.3.1-lp151.2.3.1.

Weakness: CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2019-3696?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Opensuse Pcp.

## How do I fix CVE-2019-3696?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2019-3696 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-3696 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15-ESPOS

- [CVE-2019-3695](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-3695/): pcp: Local privilege escalation from user pcp to root (high 8.4)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2019-3696 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2019-3696 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15-ESPOS, published on 3 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-2019-3696 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15-ESPOS. 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-2019-3696/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-3696/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2019-3696
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-3696
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2019-3696

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-3696/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.