# CVE-2019-5164: Command injection in Shadowsocks

> Attackers can execute arbitrary code and escalate privileges by sending crafted network packets to the Shadowsocks ss-manager binary.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.0/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:** 3 Dec 2019
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2019-5164, GHSA-rcm9-p88f-cmqm, UBUNTU-CVE-2019-5164

## What is CVE-2019-5164?

CVE-2019-5164 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in Opensuse Backports Sle, published on 3 Dec 2019. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

An exploitable code execution vulnerability exists in the ss-manager binary of Shadowsocks-libev 3.3.2. Specially crafted network packets sent to ss-manager can cause an arbitrary binary to run, resulting in code execution and privilege escalation. An attacker can send network packets to trigger this vulnerability.

Weakness: CWE-306 (Missing Authentication for Critical Functionality)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2019-5164?

It affects 3 products.


Products: Opensuse Backports Sle, Opensuse Leap, Shadowsocks Shadowsocks-Libev.

## How do I fix CVE-2019-5164?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2019-5164 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-5164 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Opensuse Backports Sle

- [CVE-2020-12641](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-12641/): Roundcube Webmail Remote Code Execution (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2020-12640](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-12640/): Path traversal in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2020-8233](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-8233/): Command injection in EdgeSwitch firmware v1.9.0 and prior (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2020-8026](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-8026/): inn: non-root owned files (high 8.4)
- [CVE-2020-15229](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-15229/): Path traversal and files overwrite with unsquashfs (high 8.2)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2019-5164 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2019-5164 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in Opensuse Backports Sle, published on 3 Dec 2019. 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-2019-5164 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Opensuse Backports Sle. 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-2019-5164/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-5164/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2019-5164
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-5164
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2019-5164

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-5164/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.