TmpreaperApplication · Debian
CVE-2019-3461
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 · uneditedDebian tmpreaper version 1.6.13+nmu1 has a race condition when doing a (bind) mount via rename() which could result in local privilege escalation. Mounting via rename() could potentially lead to a file being placed elsewhereon the filesystem hierarchy (e.g. /etc/cron.d/) if the directory being cleaned up was on the same physical filesystem. Fixed versions include 1.6.13+nmu1+deb9u1 and 1.6.14.
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 confidenceA race condition in Debian's tmpreaper (1.6.13+nmu1) exists when performing bind mounts via rename(). An attacker can exploit this by placing arbitrary files (e.g., cron jobs) in protected locations like /etc/cron.d/ during the cleanup window when the target directory is on the same filesystem, achieving local 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
TmpreaperApplication
= 1.6.13\+nmu1
Debian LinuxOperating system
= 8.0= 9.0CVSS 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
- High
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/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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Verify tmpreaper package is installedRun `dpkg -l tmpreaper` or `which tmpreaper`Affected if tmpreaper is not installed on the system, then this CVE does not apply
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Identify the installed tmpreaper versionRun `dpkg -l tmpreaper` and note the version string, or use `apt show tmpreaper`Affected if The version shown is exactly 1.6.13+nmu1, indicating the vulnerable release
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Confirm the Debian major versionCheck `/etc/debian_version` or run `lsb_release -rs`Affected if The system runs Debian 8.x or 9.x, matching the affected OS versions listed for this CVE
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Compare installed version against affected rangeCross-reference your tmpreaper version with the affected versions: 1.6.13+nmu1 on Debian 8.0 or 9.0Affected if The installed version and OS exactly match the affected combination, meaning the race condition is present
A system is affected if tmpreaper version 1.6.13+nmu1 is installed on Debian 8.0 or Debian 9.0, as this specific version contains the exploitable race condition during bind mount operations.
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 dataUpdate tmpreaper to version 1.6.13+nmu1+deb9u1 (Debian 9) or 1.6.14 (newer releases) via standard package management to patch the race condition vulnerability.
Fix this in Tmpreaper
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation1.0 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 $1,200.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2019-3461 — 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-2019-3461 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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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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