CVE-2019-12408
Missing Initialization of Resource in Apache Arrow
It was discovered that the C++ implementation (which underlies the R, Python and Ruby implementations) of Apache Arrow 0.14.0 to 0.14.1 had a uninitialized memory bug when building arrays with null values in some cases. This can lead to uninitialized memory being unintentionally shared if Arrow Arrays are transmitted over the wire (for instance with Flight) or persisted in the streaming IPC and file formats.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- None
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
NVD Score used
It was discovered that the C++ implementation (which underlies the R, Python and Ruby implementations) of Apache Arrow 0.14.0 to 0.14.1 had a uninitialized memory bug when building arrays with null values in some cases. This can lead to uninitialized memory being unintentionally shared if Arrow Arrays are transmitted over the wire (for instance with Flight) or persisted in the streaming IPC and file formats.
- Record
CVE-2019-12408- CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H - CVSS 2.0
- 5.0 Medium
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P - Weakness
- CWE-909
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
CVE List No score
It was discovered that the C++ implementation (which underlies the R, Python and Ruby implementations) of Apache Arrow 0.14.0 to 0.14.1 had a uninitialized memory bug when building arrays with null values in some cases. This can lead to uninitialized memory being unintentionally shared if Arrow Arrays are transmitted over the wire (for instance with Flight) or persisted in the streaming IPC and file formats.
- Record
CVE-2019-12408- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2019-0106 No score
It was discovered that the C++ implementation (which underlies the R, Python and Ruby implementations) of Apache Arrow 0.14.0 to 0.14.1 had a uninitialized memory bug when building arrays with null values in some cases. This can lead to uninitialized memory being unintentionally shared if Arrow Arrays are transmitted over the wire (for instance with Flight) or persisted in the streaming IPC and file formats.
- Record
EUVD-2019-0106- Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-8cw2-jv5c-c825
Missing Initialization of Resource in Apache Arrow
It was discovered that the C++ implementation (which underlies the R, Python and Ruby implementations) of Apache Arrow 0.14.0 to 0.14.1 had a uninitialized memory bug when building arrays with null values in some cases. This can lead to uninitialized memory being unintentionally shared if Arrow Arrays are transmitted over the wire (for instance with Flight) or persisted in the streaming IPC and file formats.
- Record
GHSA-8cw2-jv5c-c825- CVSS 4.0
- 8.7 High
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-909
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
It was discovered that the C++ implementation (which underlies the R, Python and Ruby implementations) of Apache Arrow 0.14.0 to 0.14.1 had a uninitialized memory bug when building arrays with null values in some cases. This can lead to uninitialized memory being unintentionally shared if Arrow Arrays are transmitted over the wire (for instance with Flight) or persisted in the streaming IPC and file formats.
- Record
CVE-2019-12408- CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVGHSA-8cw2-jv5c-c825
Missing Initialization of Resource in Apache Arrow
It was discovered that the C++ implementation (which underlies the R, Python and Ruby implementations) of Apache Arrow 0.14.0 to 0.14.1 had a uninitialized memory bug when building arrays with null values in some cases. This can lead to uninitialized memory being unintentionally shared if Arrow Arrays are transmitted over the wire (for instance with Flight) or persisted in the streaming IPC and file formats.
- Record
GHSA-8cw2-jv5c-c825- CVSS 4.0
- 8.7 High
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-909
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVPYSEC-2019-195 No score
It was discovered that the C++ implementation (which underlies the R, Python and Ruby implementations) of Apache Arrow 0.14.0 to 0.14.1 had a uninitialized memory bug when building arrays with null values in some cases. This can lead to uninitialized memory being unintentionally shared if Arrow Arrays are transmitted over the wire (for instance with Flight) or persisted in the streaming IPC and file formats.
- Record
PYSEC-2019-195- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
red-arrowRubyGems |
0.14.0 up to 0.15.1 | 0.15.1 |
pyarrowPyPI |
0.14.0 up to 0.15.1 | 0.15.1 |
pyarrowPyPI |
0.14.0 up to 0.15.1, plus listed versions 0.14.10.15.0 |
0.15.1 |
red-arrowRubyGems |
0.14.0 up to 0.15.1, plus listed versions 0.14.10.15.0 |
0.15.1 |
pyarrowPyPI |
0.14.0 up to 0.15.0, plus listed versions 0.14.1 |
0.15.0 |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| aliases | EUVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2019-12408 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 7.5) in Apache Arrow, published November 8, 2019. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 3.25%, the 88th percentile. Fixed in red-arrow 0.15.1.
References
lists.apache.org/thread.html/49f067b1c5fb7493d952580f0d2d032819ba351f7a78743c21126269%40%3Cdev.arrow.apache.org%3E
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-12408
github.com/rubysec/ruby-advisory-db/blob/master/gems/red-arrow/CVE-2019-12408.yml