CVE-2019-5981
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 · uneditedImproper authorization vulnerability in VAIO Update 7.3.0.03150 and earlier allows an attackers to execute arbitrary executable file with administrative privilege via unspecified vectors.
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 confidenceThis is an improper authorization vulnerability in VAIO Update (Sony's system update utility for VAIO laptops) versions 7.3.0.03150 and earlier. The vulnerability allows an attacker to bypass authorization checks and execute arbitrary executable files with administrative/root privileges. The attack vector is not specified in the CVE, suggesting it could involve manipulating update mechanisms, exploiting privileged service interactions, or leveraging insufficient permission validation.
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<= 7.3.0.03150CVSS 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:3.0/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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Check if VAIO Update is installedLook for the VAIO Update installation directory at C:\Program Files\Sony\VAIO Update\ or C:\Program Files (x86)\Sony\VAIO Update\, or check the Windows Registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Sony Corporation\VAIO Update for the InstallPath value.Affected if The VAIO Update software is present on the system.
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Identify the installed VAIO Update versionCheck the file version of the main executable (typically VAIOUpdate.exe or VBdl.exe in the installation directory) by right-clicking the file, selecting Properties, and viewing the Details tab. Alternatively, query the registry key HKLM\SOFTWARE\Sony Corporation\VAIO Update\Version if it exists.Affected if The version returned is 7.3.0.03150 or earlier.
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Verify the VAIO Update service statusOpen Services (services.msc) and locate the VAIO Update service, or run 'sc query VAIOUpdate' from an elevated command prompt to check if the service is installed and running.Affected if The VAIO Update service exists and is running (the vulnerability requires the service to be accessible for exploitation).
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Confirm executable file locationsList the contents of the VAIO Update installation directory to identify the executable files present, particularly any executable used for applying updates or patches.Affected if Executable files related to the update mechanism are present on the system.
A system is affected if VAIO Update version 7.3.0.03150 or earlier is installed and the vulnerable update component is accessible, regardless of whether the service is actively running.
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 dataApply vendor-supplied patches if available; otherwise, consider disabling VAIO Update or restricting its execution until a fix is released. Monitor for unauthorized privileged process spawning as a detection mechanism.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2019-5981 — 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-2019-5981 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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