CVE-2019-12135
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 · uneditedAn unspecified vulnerability in the application server in PaperCut MF and NG versions 18.3.8 and earlier and versions 19.0.3 and earlier allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via an unspecified vector.
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 · moderate confidencePaperCut MF and NG print management software versions 18.3.8 and earlier and 19.0.3 and earlier contain a critical vulnerability in the application server component that allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code without authentication.
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<= 18.3.8>= 19.0.1, <= 19.0.3<= 18.3.8>= 19.0.1, <= 19.0.3CVSS 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
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/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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Locate installed PaperCut applicationOn Windows, open Programs and Features and look for PaperCut MF or PaperCut NG. On Linux, check /opt/papercut or run 'ls /opt' for papercut directories. The application is typically installed as a Windows service named 'PaperCut MF' or 'PaperCut NG'.Affected if PaperCut MF or NG is not installed on the system.
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Determine installed PaperCut versionOpen the PaperCut admin interface in a web browser (commonly http://localhost:9191 or https://localhost:9192). The version is displayed on the login page or in the About section under Help. Alternatively, on Windows check the executable properties: right-click the PaperCut service executable in the installation directory and view Version information.Affected if Unable to determine version or PaperCut admin interface is not accessible.
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Compare version against affected rangesIf version is found, compare it to the affected ranges: versions 18.3.8 and earlier, or versions 19.0.1 through 19.0.3. Affected versions include 18.x.x up to 18.3.8, and 19.0.1, 19.0.2, and 19.0.3.Affected if Installed version falls within <= 18.3.8 or >= 19.0.1 AND <= 19.0.3.
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Check if application server is network-accessibleVerify if the PaperCut admin interface port (default 9191 or 9192) is listening on external network interfaces. On Windows, run 'netstat -an | findstr 919' or 'netstat -ab' to see listening ports and associated executables. Check that the service is bound to 0.0.0.0 rather than 127.0.0.1 only.Affected if PaperCut application server is listening on external IP addresses or all interfaces (0.0.0.0), making it network-exploitable.
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Identify the application server componentThe vulnerable component is the PaperCut Application Server. On Windows, this runs as a Windows service. Confirm the service is running: open Services (services.msc) and look for 'PaperCut MF' or 'PaperCut NG' service with status 'Running'. The server handles print job processing and admin functions.Affected if PaperCut Application Server service is not running or does not exist.
System is affected if PaperCut MF or NG is installed AND the version falls within 18.3.8 or earlier, or 19.0.1-19.0.3, AND the application server is network-accessible.
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.
dbcve · scopedImmediately upgrade to the patched version of PaperCut MF/NG as specified in vendor release notes. If immediate patching is not possible, restrict network access to the application server and monitor for indicators of compromise.
PaperCut MF/NG 18.3.9+ or 19.0.4+ (latest stable release recommended)
- 1. Identify the currently installed PaperCut MF or NG version in your environment
- 2. If running version 18.3.8 or earlier, upgrade to version 18.3.9 or later
- 3. If running version 19.0.1 through 19.0.3, upgrade to version 19.0.4 or later
- 4. After upgrade, verify the application server is functioning normally
- 5. Confirm the vulnerability is remediated by ensuring the application is running a version greater than the affected ranges
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2019-12135 — 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-2019-12135 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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- 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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