CVE-2019-3844: [freedesktop.org] systemd · CWE-268
Affects [freedesktop.org] systemdSource CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited · public exploit available (Exploit-DB) · CVSS 4.5 Medium.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 09:15 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.9% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 59% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:LExploitation evidence
t = 0 is the CVE’s publication on cve.org
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 26 Apr 2019
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: evidence found.
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
Timeline
CVE ID reserved
by Red Hat, Inc.
, 113 days before disclosure
CVE published
on cve.org
, t = 0
First Exploit-DB entry (opens in a new tab)
systemd - DynamicUser can Create setuid Binaries when Assisted by Another Process
, the same day as disclosure
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.
What to do
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
Debiandebian/systemdpkg:deb/debian/systemdOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.
AI-suggested
To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations should: 1) Upgrade systemd to a version later than 242 where this vulnerability is patched. 2) Restrict local user access and enforce strict user account management policies to minimize the number of users who can execute or manipulate SUID binaries. 3) Audit and monitor usage of SUID binaries and transient user/group assignments to detect anomalous behavior related to privilege escalation attempts. 4) Implement mandatory access controls (e.g., SELinux, AppArmor) to limit the capabilities of services using DynamicUser, reducing the risk of privilege escalation via group ID recycling. 5) Regularly review and rotate group IDs and transient user assignments to minimize the window of opportunity for exploitation. 6) Employ comprehensive logging and alerting on systemd service executions and changes to permissions or ownership of critical binaries and files. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on systemd-specific configurations and local privilege management.
Description
It was discovered that a systemd service that uses DynamicUser property can get new privileges through the execution of SUID binaries, which would allow to create binaries owned by the service transient group with the setgid bit set. A local attacker may use this flaw to access resources that will be owned by a potentially different service in the future, when the GID will be recycled.
References
- bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=CVE-2019-3844 (opens in a new tab)
- securityfocus.com/bid/108096 (opens in a new tab)
- security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20190619-0002/ (opens in a new tab)
- usn.ubuntu.com/4269-1/ (opens in a new tab)
- lists.apache.org/thread.html/rf4c02775860db415b4955778a131c2795223f61cb8c6a450893651e4%40%3Cissues.bookkeeper.apache.org%3E (opens in a new tab)
- lists.apache.org/thread.html/r58af02e294bd07f487e2c64ffc0a29b837db5600e33b6e698b9d696b%40%3Cissues.bookkeeper.apache.org%3E (opens in a new tab)