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CVE-2019-18849

In tnef before 1.4.18, an attacker may be able to write to the victim's .ssh/authorized_keys file...

5.5 MediumFix available

In tnef before 1.4.18, an attacker may be able to write to the victim's .ssh/authorized_keys file via an e-mail message with a crafted winmail.dat application/ms-tnef attachment, because of a heap-based buffer over-read involving strdup.

Attack profile

How easy it is to exploit

Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges needed
None
User interaction
Required

What an attacker can affect

Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

Exploit likelihood

1.21%Down 0.2 points since Apr 14, 2021
90%50%10%1%

What each source reports

NVD Score used 5.5

In tnef before 1.4.18, an attacker may be able to write to the victim's .ssh/authorized_keys file via an e-mail message with a crafted winmail.dat application/ms-tnef attachment, because of a heap-based buffer over-read involving strdup.

Record
CVE-2019-18849
CVSS 3.1
5.5 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
CVSS 2.0
4.3 MediumAV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P
Weakness
CWE-125
Updated
2026-11-02
CVE List No score

In tnef before 1.4.18, an attacker may be able to write to the victim's .ssh/authorized_keys file via an e-mail message with a crafted winmail.dat application/ms-tnef attachment, because of a heap-based buffer over-read involving strdup.

Record
CVE-2019-18849
Updated
2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2019-8547 No score

In tnef before 1.4.18, an attacker may be able to write to the victim's .ssh/authorized_keys file via an e-mail message with a crafted winmail.dat application/ms-tnef attachment, because of a heap-based buffer over-read involving strdup.

Record
EUVD-2019-8547
Updated
2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-cq6j-h35c-x8gr 5.5

In tnef before 1.4.18, an attacker may be able to write to the victim's .ssh/authorized_keys file...

In tnef before 1.4.18, an attacker may be able to write to the victim's .ssh/authorized_keys file via an e-mail message with a crafted winmail.dat application/ms-tnef attachment, because of a heap-based buffer over-read involving strdup.

Record
GHSA-cq6j-h35c-x8gr
CVSS 3.1
5.5 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Weakness
CWE-125
Updated
2026-11-02
OSV 5.5

In tnef before 1.4.18, an attacker may be able to write to the victim's .ssh/authorized_keys file via an e-mail message with a crafted winmail.dat application/ms-tnef attachment, because of a heap-based buffer over-read involving strdup.

Record
CVE-2019-18849
CVSS 3.1
5.5 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVDEBIAN-CVE-2019-18849 5.5

In tnef before 1.4.18, an attacker may be able to write to the victim's .ssh/authorized_keys file via an e-mail message with a crafted winmail.dat application/ms-tnef attachment, because of a heap-based buffer over-read involving strdup.

Record
DEBIAN-CVE-2019-18849
CVSS 3.1
5.5 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVUBUNTU-CVE-2019-18849 5.5

In tnef before 1.4.18, an attacker may be able to write to the victim's .ssh/authorized_keys file via an e-mail message with a crafted winmail.dat application/ms-tnef attachment, because of a heap-based buffer over-read involving strdup.

Record
UBUNTU-CVE-2019-18849
CVSS 3.1
5.5 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVMGASA-2019-0367 No score

Updated tnef packages fix security vulnerability

Updated tnef package fixes security vulnerability:

In tnef, an attacker may be able to write to the victim's .ssh/authorized_keys file via an e-mail message with a crafted winmail.dat application/ms-tnef attachment, because of a heap-based buffer over-read involving strdup (CVE-2019-18849).

Record
MGASA-2019-0367
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVUSN-4524-1 No score

tnef vulnerabilities

Paul Dreik discovered that TNEF incorrectly handled filenames. If a user were tricked into opening a specially crafted email attachment, an attacker could possibly use this issue to write arbitrary files to the filesystem or cause TNEF crash, resulting in a denial of service. (CVE-2019-18849)

Record
USN-4524-1
Updated
2026-11-02

Affected products

Affected packages

Affected packages
PackageAffectedFixed
tnef
Debian:12
before 1.4.18-1
1.4.18-1
tnef
Debian:13
before 1.4.18-1
1.4.18-1
tnef
Debian:14
before 1.4.18-1
1.4.18-1
tnef
Debian:8
before 1.4.9-1+deb8u4, plus listed versions
1.4.9-11.4.9-1+deb8u11.4.9-1+deb8u21.4.9-1+deb8u3
1.4.9-1+deb8u4
tnef
Debian:9
before 1.4.12-1.2+deb9u1, plus listed versions
1.4.12-1.2
1.4.12-1.2+deb9u1
tnef
Mageia:7
before 1.4.18-1.mga7
1.4.18-1.mga7
tnef
Ubuntu:16.04:LTS
before 1.4.9-1+deb8u4build0.16.04.1, plus listed versions
1.4.9-11.4.9-1+deb8u2build0.16.04.11.4.9-1+deb8u3build0.16.04.1
1.4.9-1+deb8u4build0.16.04.1
tnef
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS
All versions, plus listed versions
1.4.12-1.2
None known

History

History
RecordedChangedSources
aliasesEUVD
first indexedCVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV

Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.

In short

CVE-2019-18849 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 5.5) in Tnef Project Tnef, published November 11, 2019. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 1.21%, the 68th percentile. Fixed in tnef 1.4.18-1.

References

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