CVE-2019-11396
An issue was discovered in Avira Free Security Suite 10. The permissive access rights on the...
An issue was discovered in Avira Free Security Suite 10. The permissive access rights on the SoftwareUpdater folder (files / folders and configuration) are incompatible with the privileged file manipulation performed by the product. Files can be created that can be used by an unprivileged user to obtain SYSTEM privileges. Arbitrary file creation can be achieved by abusing the SwuConfig.json file creation: an unprivileged user can replace these files by pseudo-symbolic links to arbitrary files. When an update occurs, a privileged service creates a file and sets its access rights, offering write access to the Everyone group in any directory.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- Low
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
NVD Score used
7.8
An issue was discovered in Avira Free Security Suite 10. The permissive access rights on the SoftwareUpdater folder (files / folders and configuration) are incompatible with the privileged file manipulation performed by the product. Files can be created that can be used by an unprivileged user to obtain SYSTEM privileges. Arbitrary file creation can be achieved by abusing the SwuConfig.json file creation: an unprivileged user can replace these files by pseudo-symbolic links to arbitrary files. When an update occurs, a privileged service creates a file and sets its access rights, offering write access to the Everyone group in any directory.
- Record
CVE-2019-11396- CVSS 3.0
- 7.8 High
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - CVSS 2.0
- 7.2 High
AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C - Weakness
- CWE-59
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
CVE List No score
An issue was discovered in Avira Free Security Suite 10. The permissive access rights on the SoftwareUpdater folder (files / folders and configuration) are incompatible with the privileged file manipulation performed by the product. Files can be created that can be used by an unprivileged user to obtain SYSTEM privileges. Arbitrary file creation can be achieved by abusing the SwuConfig.json file creation: an unprivileged user can replace these files by pseudo-symbolic links to arbitrary files. When an update occurs, a privileged service creates a file and sets its access rights, offering write access to the Everyone group in any directory.
- Record
CVE-2019-11396- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2019-3074 No score
An issue was discovered in Avira Free Security Suite 10. The permissive access rights on the SoftwareUpdater folder (files / folders and configuration) are incompatible with the privileged file manipulation performed by the product. Files can be created that can be used by an unprivileged user to obtain SYSTEM privileges. Arbitrary file creation can be achieved by abusing the SwuConfig.json file creation: an unprivileged user can replace these files by pseudo-symbolic links to arbitrary files. When an update occurs, a privileged service creates a file and sets its access rights, offering write access to the Everyone group in any directory.
- Record
EUVD-2019-3074- Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-wg87-3vq4-8632
7.8
An issue was discovered in Avira Free Security Suite 10. The permissive access rights on the...
An issue was discovered in Avira Free Security Suite 10. The permissive access rights on the SoftwareUpdater folder (files / folders and configuration) are incompatible with the privileged file manipulation performed by the product. Files can be created that can be used by an unprivileged user to obtain SYSTEM privileges. Arbitrary file creation can be achieved by abusing the SwuConfig.json file creation: an unprivileged user can replace these files by pseudo-symbolic links to arbitrary files. When an update occurs, a privileged service creates a file and sets its access rights, offering write access to the Everyone group in any directory.
- Record
GHSA-wg87-3vq4-8632- CVSS 3.0
- 7.8 High
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-59
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| aliases | EUVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2019-11396 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 7.8) in Avira Free Security Suite, published August 29, 2019. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.57%, the 47th percentile. No source names a fixed version.
References
packetstormsecurity.com/files/153868/Avira-Free-Security-Suite-2019-Software-Updater-2.0.6.13175-Improper-Access-Control.html
seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2019/Aug/1
medium.com/sidechannel-br/vulnerabilidade-no-avira-security-suite-pode-levar-%C3%A0-escala%C3%A7%C3%A3o-de-privil%C3%A9gios-no-windows-71964236c077
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-11396
github.com/advisories/GHSA-wg87-3vq4-8632