# CVE-2019-3699: Local privilege escalation from user privoxy to root

> Local attackers can escalate privileges from the privoxy user to root via symlink following in openSUSE packaging.

- **Severity:** High 7.7 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 24 Jan 2020
- **Updated:** 16 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-j9ww-72pm-37h3

## What is CVE-2019-3699?

CVE-2019-3699 is a high-severity vulnerability in openSUSE Factory, published on 24 Jan 2020. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

UNIX Symbolic Link (Symlink) Following vulnerability in the packaging of privoxy on openSUSE Leap 15.1, Factory allows local attackers to escalate from user privoxy to root. This issue affects: openSUSE Leap 15.1 privoxy version 3.0.28-lp151.1.1 and prior versions. openSUSE Factory privoxy version 3.0.28-2.1 and prior versions.

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2019-3699?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Privoxy Privoxy.

## How do I fix CVE-2019-3699?

No fix has been published for CVE-2019-3699 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2019-3699 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-3699 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in openSUSE Factory

- [CVE-2021-44540](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-44540/): Denial of service in Privoxy (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2021-44541](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-44541/): Denial of service in Privoxy (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2021-44542](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-44542/): Denial of service in Privoxy (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2021-20209](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-20209/): Denial of service in privoxy (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2020-35502](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-35502/): Denial of service in privoxy (high 7.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2019-3699 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2019-3699 is a high-severity vulnerability in openSUSE Factory, published on 24 Jan 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-2019-3699 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: openSUSE Factory. 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-2019-3699/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-3699/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2019-3699
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-3699
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2019-3699

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-3699/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.