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Linux KernelOperating system · Linux

CVE-2019-15504

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2019-08-23
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 4.19.74 / 5.2.16 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

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 · unedited
drivers/net/wireless/rsi/rsi_91x_usb.c in the Linux kernel through 5.2.9 has a Double Free via crafted USB device traffic (which may be remote via usbip or usbredir).

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 confidence

A double-free vulnerability exists in the RSI USB wireless driver (rsi_91x_usb.c) in Linux kernel versions up to 5.2.9. The vulnerability is triggered by crafted USB device traffic, which can be delivered remotely through USBIP or usbredir protocols. This memory corruption issue could allow an attacker to achieve arbitrary code execution with kernel privileges.

MitigationUpgrade the Linux kernel to version 5.2.10 or later. If immediate patching is not possible, consider disabling the rsi_usb module or blocking untrusted USB device connections through usbip/usbredir until the patch can be applied.

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
Linux KernelOperating system
Affected:>= 4.17, < 4.19.74>= 4.20, < 5.2.16
Ubuntu LinuxOperating system
Affected:= 18.04= 19.04

CVSS 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:3.1/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check kernel version
    Run 'uname -r' or 'cat /proc/version' to get the running kernel version
    Affected if Kernel version is >= 4.17 and < 4.19.74, OR >= 4.20 and < 5.2.16
  2. Verify rsi_usb module is loaded
    Run 'lsmod | grep rsi' or 'modinfo rsi_usb' to check if the RSI USB driver module is present
    Affected if The rsi_usb module is loaded or loadable on the system
  3. Identify loaded USB wireless drivers
    Run 'lsmod' or check '/proc/modules' for any RSI-related modules (rsi_usb, rsi_91x, rsi_sdio)
    Affected if Any RSI wireless driver modules are loaded in memory
  4. Check for RSI USB device connections
    Run 'lsusb' and look for RSI vendor/product IDs, or check 'dmesg' for rsi_91x messages
    Affected if An RSI USB wireless device is connected to the system
  5. Audit USBIP/usbredir exposure
    Check if usbip-core, usbip-host, or usbredir modules are loaded ('lsmod | grep -E "usbip|usbredir"') and review any USBIP server or usbredir configurations
    Affected if USBIP or usbredir is enabled and accessible to untrusted users or networks

The system is affected if it runs a vulnerable kernel version (4.17 to 4.19.73, or 4.20 to 5.2.15) AND has the rsi_usb driver module available or loaded, particularly if RSI USB devices or remote USB forwarding services are in use.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 4.19.74 / 5.2.16 or later
Fixed in 4.19.745.2.16
Interim mitigation

Upgrade the Linux kernel to version 5.2.10 or later. If immediate patching is not possible, consider disabling the rsi_usb module or blocking untrusted USB device connections through usbip/usbredir until the patch can be applied.

Recommended fix High confidence

Linux Kernel 4.19.74+, 5.2.16+, or any later mainline/stable release

  1. Check current kernel version: uname -r
  2. For Ubuntu 18.04/19.04: Run 'sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade' to install latest kernel updates
  3. If standard update does not provide fixed kernel, enable HWE kernel: sudo apt install linux-image-generic-hwe-18.04 (for 18.04) or check available HWE kernels
  4. Reboot system: sudo reboot
  5. Verify new kernel version: uname -r - ensure version is >= 4.19.74 or >= 5.2.16
Caveat Kernel upgrades may require system reboot and could introduce compatibility issues with custom kernel modules or proprietary drivers; ensure backup and test in non-production environment first

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Linux Kernel Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
24.0 hours of engineering $4,160
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2019-15504 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

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.

What belongs here
  • 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
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data