CVE-2019-11859
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedA buffer overflow exists in the SMS handler API of ALEOS before 4.13.0, 4.9.5, 4.9.4 that may allow code execution as root.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceA buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the SMS handler API of ALEOS firmware (versions before 4.13.0, 4.9.5, and 4.9.4). The vulnerability allows an attacker to potentially execute arbitrary code with root privileges by sending specially crafted SMS messages to the affected device.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data<= 4.12.0<= 4.9.4<= 4.4.8CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify ALEOS firmware versionAccess the device web interface status page, or use AT command 'AT+CGMR' via serial/terminal to retrieve the firmware version. Check the device dashboard or system info page.Affected if The installed version is 4.12.0 or lower, or falls within 4.9.x at 4.9.4 or lower, or 4.4.8 or lower.
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Confirm SMS handler API is activeLocate SMS-related settings in the device web interface under 'SMS', 'API', or 'Applications' menu. Verify the SMS API or inbound SMS handling is enabled in the configuration.Affected if The SMS handler API or inbound SMS processing is enabled on the device (this is typically the default state).
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Check for SMS API access controlsReview the SMS configuration page to see if SMS-based API access, remote SMS commands, or script execution via SMS is permitted. Look for settings related to 'SMS API', 'AT commands via SMS', or 'remote access'.Affected if SMS API or remote SMS command execution is allowed without restriction.
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Review SMS traffic logsIf available, examine device logs or SMS inbox for unusual or unsolicited SMS messages, especially from unknown sources. Check for any SMS-triggered events in system logs.Affected if There are unexpected inbound SMS messages or SMS-triggered command executions logged.
The device is affected if it runs ALEOS firmware version 4.12.0 or lower (or 4.9.4/4.9.3 or lower, or 4.4.8 or lower) AND has the SMS handler API enabled, which is the default configuration.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataUpgrade ALEOS firmware to version 4.13.0 or later (or to 4.9.5/4.9.4 for the respective branches) to patch the buffer overflow in the SMS handler API. If upgrading is not immediately possible, consider disabling or restricting SMS-based API access and monitoring for anomalous SMS traffic.
- Consultation6.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2019-11859 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2019-11859 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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