CVE-2019-17664
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 · uneditedNSA Ghidra through 9.0.4 uses a potentially untrusted search path. When executing Ghidra from a given path, the Java process working directory is set to this path. Then, when launching the Python interpreter via the "Ghidra Codebrowser > Window > Python" option, Ghidra will try to execute the cmd.exe program from this working directory.
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 confidenceGhidra through 9.0.4 contains an untrusted search path vulnerability. When executing Ghidra, the Java process sets its working directory to the launch path, and when launching Python via 'Window > Python', Ghidra attempts to execute cmd.exe from this working directory before checking system paths, allowing potential code execution if a malicious cmd.exe is placed in the launch directory.
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<= 9.0.4CVSS 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
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/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 Ghidra versionLocate the installed Ghidra distribution and determine its version. Check the installation folder name, or launch Ghidra and view the splash screen or Help > About Ghidra to find the version number.Affected if The installed version is 9.0.4 or earlier (any version through 9.0.4)
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Determine Ghidra launch directoryNote the directory from which Ghidra was started. This is the working directory the Java process inherits. Check if it is a shared network location, a downloads folder, a temp directory, or any directory with write access by other users.Affected if Ghidra is launched from a directory with shared or untrusted access, or a directory where an attacker could place files
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Check for cmd.exe in launch directoryInspect the Ghidra launch directory for the presence of cmd.exe. Use file explorer or run 'dir cmd.exe' from that directory to list any cmd.exe file.Affected if cmd.exe exists in the directory from which Ghidra was launched
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Verify Python feature accessibilityConfirm that the Python feature is available in this Ghidra installation. In the Ghidra UI, check if 'Window > Python' menu option exists. This feature is the trigger that causes Ghidra to attempt executing cmd.exe from the working directory.Affected if The Python feature (Window > Python) is present and accessible in this Ghidra version
A user is affected if they are running Ghidra version 9.0.4 or earlier AND have launched Ghidra from a directory where a malicious cmd.exe could be placed AND the Python feature is accessible, as this combination allows the untrusted search path to be exploited.
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 to Ghidra 9.0.5 or later, or run Ghidra from a controlled, empty directory to prevent executable hijacking.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing1.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2019-17664 — 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-2019-17664 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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