CVE-2019-19475
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 ManageEngine Applications Manager 14 with Build 14360. Integrated PostgreSQL which is built-in in Applications Manager is prone to attack due to lack of file permission security. The malicious users who are in “Authenticated Users” group can exploit privilege escalation and modify PostgreSQL configuration to execute arbitrary command to escalate and gain full system privilege user access and rights over the system.
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 confidenceThe integrated PostgreSQL in ManageEngine Applications Manager 14 (Build 14360) has insecure file permissions allowing any 'Authenticated Users' group member to modify PostgreSQL configuration files. Since PostgreSQL runs with elevated privileges, an attacker can modify config to execute arbitrary commands, achieving full system privilege escalation.
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= 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
- 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 Applications Manager versionCheck the installed version of ManageEngine Applications Manager. Look in the installation directory for version information, or check the product about page in the web interface.Affected if The installed version is exactly 14.3 (Build 14360)
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Locate PostgreSQL configuration filesFind the PostgreSQL configuration files within the Applications Manager installation directory. Typical files include postgresql.conf and pg_hba.conf located in the embedded PostgreSQL data or conf directory.Affected if PostgreSQL configuration files exist in the expected installation subdirectory (such as /bin or /data) within Applications Manager
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Verify file ownership and permissions on postgresql.confCheck the file permissions on postgresql.conf using icacls (Windows) or ls -la (Linux/Unix). Look for whether the 'Authenticated Users' group or equivalent non-admin users have Write or Modify permissions.Affected if Authenticated Users or non-privileged users have Write or Modify access to postgresql.conf
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Verify file ownership and permissions on pg_hba.confCheck the file permissions on pg_hba.conf using icacls (Windows) or ls -la (Linux/Unix). Determine if Authenticated Users or equivalent can modify this authentication configuration file.Affected if Authenticated Users or non-privileged users have Write or Modify access to pg_hba.conf
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Confirm PostgreSQL service privilege levelCheck if the embedded PostgreSQL service runs with elevated privileges (such as LocalSystem or a service account with high permissions). On Windows, use Services.msc or sc query; on Linux, check the service account in /etc/passwd or ps output.Affected if PostgreSQL runs with elevated/system privileges and configuration files are writable by low-privilege users
You are affected if Applications Manager version is 14.3 AND the PostgreSQL configuration files (postgresql.conf, pg_hba.conf) are writable by the Authenticated Users group or other low-privilege users, combined with PostgreSQL running at elevated privilege level.
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 dataRestrict file permissions on PostgreSQL configuration files to prevent modification by the 'Authenticated Users' group; apply vendor patch/upgrade to a fixed build of Applications Manager.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing1.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,744.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2019-19475 — 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-2019-19475 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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