CVE-2019-13465
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 issue was discovered in the ROS communications-related packages (aka ros_comm or ros-melodic-ros-comm) through 1.14.3. ROS_ASSERT_MSG only works when ROS_ASSERT_ENABLED is defined. This leads to a problem in the remove() function in clients/roscpp/src/libros/spinner.cpp. When ROS_ASSERT_ENABLED is not defined, the iterator loop will run out of the scope of the array, and cause denial of service for other components (that depend on the communication-related functions of this package). NOTE: The reporter of this issue now believes it was a false alarm.
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 confidenceA bounds-checking vulnerability exists in the remove() function in clients/roscpp/src/libros/spinner.cpp where the iterator loop can exceed array bounds when ROS_ASSERT_ENABLED is not defined. ROS_ASSERT_MSG macros only execute when ROS_ASSERT_ENABLED is defined, causing the out-of-scope iterator access leading to denial of service for components relying on ROS communication functions.
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<= 1.14.3CVSS 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
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/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 installed ROS versionRun 'rosversion -a' or check the installed ros-comm package version using the system's package manager (e.g., 'dpkg -l | grep ros-comm' on Debian/Ubuntu, 'rpm -qa | grep ros-comm' on RHEL/CentOS)Affected if The installed ros-comm or roscpp package version is 1.14.3 or lower
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Locate spinner.cpp source fileFind the source file at clients/roscpp/src/libros/spinner.cpp within the ROS installation or source treeAffected if The file exists in the installed ROS codebase and contains a remove() function
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Check if ROS_ASSERT_ENABLED is defined in buildInspect the build configuration or preprocessor defines used when compiling roscpp. Look for ROS_ASSERT_ENABLED in the CMake configuration, build flags, or generated headersAffected if ROS_ASSERT_ENABLED is NOT defined in the compiled roscpp library, meaning assertion guards are disabled in the remove() function
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Examine remove() function bounds checkingOpen spinner.cpp and locate the remove() function. Check whether the iterator bounds checking logic is wrapped inside ROS_ASSERT_ENABLED conditional blocksAffected if The remove() function relies on ROS_ASSERT_ENABLED to prevent iterator out-of-bounds access, and this macro is not defined during compilation
A system is affected if it runs ros-comm version 1.14.3 or lower AND was compiled without ROS_ASSERT_ENABLED defined, leaving the remove() function vulnerable to out-of-bounds iterator access.
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 dataAdd proper bounds checking in the remove() function that does not depend on ROS_ASSERT_ENABLED, or ensure ROS_ASSERT_ENABLED is properly defined during compilation to enable assertion guards.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2019-13465 — 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-2019-13465 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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