Linux Kernel up to 5.1.10 TCP Retransmission Queue resource consumption

CVSS Meta Temp Score
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CTI Interest Score
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6.0$0-$5k0.00

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability marked as problematic has been reported in Linux Kernel up to 4.4.181/4.9.181/4.14.126/4.19.51/5.1.10. This impacts an unknown function of the component TCP Retransmission Queue Handler. This manipulation causes resource consumption. This vulnerability is handled as CVE-2019-11478. The attack can be initiated remotely. There is not any exploit available. It is suggested to upgrade the affected component.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability has been found in Linux Kernel up to 4.4.181/4.9.181/4.14.126/4.19.51/5.1.10 (Operating System) and classified as problematic. Affected by this vulnerability is an unknown code of the component TCP Retransmission Queue Handler. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a resource consumption vulnerability. The CWE definition for the vulnerability is CWE-400. The product does not properly control the allocation and maintenance of a limited resource, thereby enabling an actor to influence the amount of resources consumed, eventually leading to the exhaustion of available resources. As an impact it is known to affect availability. The summary by CVE is:

Jonathan Looney discovered that the TCP retransmission queue implementation in tcp_fragment in the Linux kernel could be fragmented when handling certain TCP Selective Acknowledgment (SACK) sequences. A remote attacker could use this to cause a denial of service. This has been fixed in stable kernel releases 4.4.182, 4.9.182, 4.14.127, 4.19.52, 5.1.11, and is fixed in commit f070ef2ac66716357066b683fb0baf55f8191a2e.

The weakness was released 06/19/2019 with Netflix (Website). It is possible to read the advisory at support.f5.com. This vulnerability is known as CVE-2019-11478 since 04/23/2019. The exploitation appears to be easy. The attack can be launched remotely. The exploitation doesn't need any form of authentication. The technical details are unknown and an exploit is not publicly available. The attack technique deployed by this issue is T1499 according to MITRE ATT&CK.

The vulnerability scanner Nessus provides a plugin with the ID 247370 (Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2019-11478), which helps to determine the existence of the flaw in a target environment. The commercial vulnerability scanner Qualys is able to test this issue with plugin 237298 (Red Hat Update for kernel (Sad SACK) (RHSA-2019:1483)).

Upgrading to version 4.4.182, 4.9.182, 4.14.127, 4.19.52 or 5.1.11 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch f070ef2ac66716357066b683fb0baf55f8191a2e is able to eliminate this problem. The best possible mitigation is suggested to be upgrading to the latest version.

The vulnerability is also documented in the databases at Tenable (247370) and SecurityFocus (BID 108818†). Entries connected to this vulnerability are available at VDB-136601, VDB-136652 and VDB-136655. Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.

Productinfo

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CPE 2.3info

CPE 2.2info

CVSSv4info

VulDB Vector: 🔍
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

CVSSv3info

VulDB Meta Base Score: 6.0
VulDB Meta Temp Score: 6.0

VulDB Base Score: 5.3
VulDB Temp Score: 5.1
VulDB Vector: 🔍
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

NVD Base Score: 7.5
NVD Vector: 🔍

CNA Base Score: 5.3
CNA Vector (Canonical Ltd.): 🔍

CVSSv2info

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VulDB Base Score: 🔍
VulDB Temp Score: 🔍
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

NVD Base Score: 🔍

Exploitinginfo

Class: Resource consumption
CWE: CWE-400 / CWE-404
CAPEC: 🔍
ATT&CK: 🔍

Physical: No
Local: No
Remote: Yes

Availability: 🔍
Status: Not defined

EPSS Score: 🔍
EPSS Percentile: 🔍

Price Prediction: 🔍
Current Price Estimation: 🔍

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Nessus ID: 247370
Nessus Name: Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2019-11478

Qualys ID: 🔍
Qualys Name: 🔍

Threat Intelligenceinfo

Interest: 🔍
Active Actors: 🔍
Active APT Groups: 🔍

Countermeasuresinfo

Recommended: Upgrade
Status: 🔍

0-Day Time: 🔍

Upgrade: Kernel 4.4.182/4.9.182/4.14.127/4.19.52/5.1.11
Patch: f070ef2ac66716357066b683fb0baf55f8191a2e

Timelineinfo

04/23/2019 🔍
06/17/2019 +55 days 🔍
06/19/2019 +2 days 🔍
06/19/2019 +0 days 🔍
08/11/2025 +2244 days 🔍

Sourcesinfo

Vendor: kernel.org

Advisory: RHSA-2019:1594
Organization: Netflix
Status: Confirmed
Confirmation: 🔍

CVE: CVE-2019-11478 (🔍)
GCVE (CVE): GCVE-0-2019-11478
GCVE (VulDB): GCVE-100-136651
SecurityFocus: 108818 - Linux Kernel CVE-2019-11479 Denial of Service Vulnerability

See also: 🔍

Entryinfo

Created: 06/19/2019 17:30
Updated: 08/11/2025 00:32
Changes: 06/19/2019 17:30 (64), 06/25/2020 16:19 (4), 10/06/2023 12:22 (5), 10/06/2023 12:30 (12), 08/11/2025 00:32 (16)
Complete: 🔍
Cache ID: 216::103

Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.

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