CVE-2019-16905
7.8 · HIGHOverview
CVE-2019-16905 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting openbsd openssh. It was published on October 9, 2019 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 (HIGH).
This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8, rated HIGH. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. Some level of privileges is required for exploitation.
Technical Description
OpenSSH 7.7 through 7.9 and 8.x before 8.1, when compiled with an experimental key type, has a pre-authentication integer overflow if a client or server is configured to use a crafted XMSS key. This leads to memory corruption and local code execution because of an error in the XMSS key parsing algorithm. NOTE: the XMSS implementation is considered experimental in all released OpenSSH versions, and there is no supported way to enable it when building portable OpenSSH.
Remediation
Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from openbsd. Update openssh to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.
Affected Products
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| openbsd | openssh | 7.7 | Affected |
| siemens | scalance_x204rna_firmware | >= 0, < 3.2.7 | Affected |
| siemens | scalance_x204rna_ecc_firmware | >= 0, < 3.2.7 | Affected |
References
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2019-16905?
CVE-2019-16905 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting openbsd openssh. It was published on October 9, 2019 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 (HIGH).
How severe is CVE-2019-16905?
This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8, rated HIGH. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. Some level of privileges is required for exploitation.
How do I fix or remediate CVE-2019-16905?
Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from openbsd. Update openssh to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.
How can CyberStrike help with CVE-2019-16905?
CyberStrike's AI-powered security agents can automatically detect CVE-2019-16905 across your infrastructure using autonomous pentesting, DAST scanning, and HackBrowser. The platform continuously monitors for known vulnerabilities and provides actionable remediation guidance prioritized by real-world exploitability.
How CyberStrike Helps
AI agents map your attack surface to find vulnerabilities like this one.
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