CVE-2019-19522
OpenBSD 6.6, in a non-default configuration where S/Key or YubiKey authentication is enabled,...
OpenBSD 6.6, in a non-default configuration where S/Key or YubiKey authentication is enabled, allows local users to become root by leveraging membership in the auth group. This occurs because root's file can be written to /etc/skey or /var/db/yubikey, and need not be owned by root.
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
OpenBSD 6.6, in a non-default configuration where S/Key or YubiKey authentication is enabled, allows local users to become root by leveraging membership in the auth group. This occurs because root's file can be written to /etc/skey or /var/db/yubikey, and need not be owned by root.
- Record
CVE-2019-19522- CVSS 3.1
- 7.8 High
CVSS:3.1/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-732
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
CVE List No score
OpenBSD 6.6, in a non-default configuration where S/Key or YubiKey authentication is enabled, allows local users to become root by leveraging membership in the auth group. This occurs because root's file can be written to /etc/skey or /var/db/yubikey, and need not be owned by root.
- Record
CVE-2019-19522- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2019-9140 No score
OpenBSD 6.6, in a non-default configuration where S/Key or YubiKey authentication is enabled, allows local users to become root by leveraging membership in the auth group. This occurs because root's file can be written to /etc/skey or /var/db/yubikey, and need not be owned by root.
- Record
EUVD-2019-9140- Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-w448-mv88-mx78
OpenBSD 6.6, in a non-default configuration where S/Key or YubiKey authentication is enabled,...
OpenBSD 6.6, in a non-default configuration where S/Key or YubiKey authentication is enabled, allows local users to become root by leveraging membership in the auth group. This occurs because root's file can be written to /etc/skey or /var/db/yubikey, and need not be owned by root.
- Record
GHSA-w448-mv88-mx78- CVSS 3.1
- 7.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-732
- 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-2019-19522 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 7.8) in Openbsd, published December 4, 2019. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.47%, the 40th percentile. No source names a fixed version.
References
openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2019/12/04/5
openbsd.org/errata66.html
seclists.org/bugtraq/2019/Dec/8
packetstormsecurity.com/files/155572/Qualys-Security-Advisory-OpenBSD-Authentication-Bypass-Privilege-Escalation.html
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-19522
github.com/advisories/GHSA-w448-mv88-mx78