do_ed_script in pch.c in GNU patch through 2.7.6 does not block strings beginning with a ! character.
do_ed_script in pch.c in GNU patch through 2.7.6 does not block strings beginning with a ! character. NOTE: this is the same commit as for CVE-2019-13638, but the ! syntax is specific to ed, and is unrelated to a shell metacharacter.
Noroxi analysis
No Noroxi analysis for this record yet
We don't hand-write analysis for the hundreds of thousands of vulnerabilities in the database; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.
We use this product, ask for help- Published
- Aug 16, 2019
- Updated
- Jun 16, 2026
- EPSS
- 2.7% · 85th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-78
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Report tools
Action score
32
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 31 / 40 · 7.8 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 1 / 30 · 2.7%
Affected systems
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| gnu | patch | cpe:2.3:a:gnu:patch |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- gnu patchup to 2.7.6 inclusive
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine:v3.10 | patch | before 2.7.6-r6 | 2.7.6-r6 |
| Debian:10 | patch | before 2.7.6-3+deb10u1 | 2.7.6-3+deb10u1 |
| Debian:12 | patch | before 2.7.6-5 | 2.7.6-5 |
| Debian:8 | patch | before 2.7.5-1+deb8u3 | 2.7.5-1+deb8u3 |
| Debian:9 | patch | before 2.7.5-1+deb9u2 | 2.7.5-1+deb9u2 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | patch | before 0:2.7.1-12.el7_7 | 0:2.7.1-12.el7_7 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | patch-debuginfo | before 0:2.7.1-12.el7_7 | 0:2.7.1-12.el7_7 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | patch | before 0:2.7.6-9.el8_0 | 0:2.7.6-9.el8_0 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | patch-debuginfo | before 0:2.7.6-9.el8_0 | 0:2.7.6-9.el8_0 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | patch-debugsource | before 0:2.7.6-9.el8_0 | 0:2.7.6-9.el8_0 |
| Red Hat:rhel_aus:7.4::server | patch | before 0:2.7.1-11.el7_4 | 0:2.7.1-11.el7_4 |
| Red Hat:rhel_aus:7.4::server | patch-debuginfo | before 0:2.7.1-11.el7_4 | 0:2.7.1-11.el7_4 |
| Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.5::computenode | patch | before 0:2.7.1-11.el7_5 | 0:2.7.1-11.el7_5 |
| Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.5::computenode | patch-debuginfo | before 0:2.7.1-11.el7_5 | 0:2.7.1-11.el7_5 |
| Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.6::computenode | patch | before 0:2.7.1-11.el7_6 | 0:2.7.1-11.el7_6 |
| Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.6::computenode | patch-debuginfo | before 0:2.7.1-11.el7_6 | 0:2.7.1-11.el7_6 |
Same product
gnu: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2018-1000156GNU Patch version 2.7.6 contains an input validation vulnerability when processing patch files, specifically the EDITOR_PROGRAM invocation (33Monitor
- CVE-2018-6951An issue was discovered in GNU patch through 2.7.6.33Monitor
- CVE-2015-1395Directory traversal vulnerability in GNU patch versions which support Git-style patching before 2.7.3 allows remote attackers to write to ar33Monitor
- CVE-2019-13638GNU patch through 2.7.6 is vulnerable to OS shell command injection that can be exploited by opening a crafted patch file that contains an e32Monitor
- CVE-2018-6952A double free exists in the another_hunk function in pch.c in GNU patch through 2.7.6.32Monitor
- CVE-2015-1396A Directory Traversal vulnerability exists in the GNU patch before 2.7.4.31Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| alpine:patch | 2.7.6-r6 · Alpine:v3.10 | Package registry (OSV) |
| debian:patch | 2.7.6-5 · Debian:12 | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:patch | 0:2.7.6-9.el8_0 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:patch-debuginfo | 0:2.7.6-9.el8_0 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:patch-debugsource | 0:2.7.6-9.el8_0 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | Package registry (OSV) |
Exploit status
No known public exploit
No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
No dated events beyond publication.
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
No credits in the CNA record.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
No nightly-computed relations.
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
No known public program.
Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Someone with local access to the system can trigger it.
- No account or password is required.
- A user must open a link or visit a page.
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- high · data can be read
- Integrity
- high · data or configuration can be modified
- Availability
- high · the service can be disrupted
- Attack vector
- Local
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- High
- Integrity impact
- High
- Availability impact
- High
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-78 · Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')CVSS vector
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
nvd-primary
Root cause
User input is inserted as text into a shell command. The shell may interpret special characters in the input as part of the command.
The bug in code
The whole CWE-78 classA representative example of this vulnerability class. Not the vendor's source code; it shows the faulty pattern and its fix.
Vulnerable
const host = req.body.host;exec("ping -c 1 " + host, onResult);Fixed
const host = req.body.host;if (!/^[a-z0-9.-]{1,253}$/i.test(host)) return res.sendStatus(400);execFile("ping", ["-c", "1", host], onResult);Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
Attack patterns (CAPEC)
- Command Line Execution through SQL InjectionCAPEC-108likelihood: Low · Very High
- Command DelimitersCAPEC-15likelihood: High · High
- Exploiting Multiple Input Interpretation LayersCAPEC-43likelihood: Medium · High
- Argument InjectionCAPEC-6likelihood: High · High
- OS Command InjectionCAPEC-88likelihood: High · High
ATT&CK techniques
—
Change log
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
- packetstormsecurity.com/files/154124/GNU-patch-Command-Injection-Directory-Traversal.html
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:2798
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:2964
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:3757
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:3758
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:4061
- git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/patch.git/commit/?id=3fcd042d26d70856e826a42b5f93dc4854d80bf0
- github.com/irsl/gnu-patch-vulnerabilities
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.