CVE-2019-11480

Build compromise via unauthenticated APT package installation

Published Apr 14, 2020 · Updated Sep 16, 2024

Insufficient package authentication in Canonical pc-kernel 2019-07-16 and earlier allows man-in-the-middle attackers to compromise build chroots. The kernel-snap Makefiles pass --allow-insecure-repositories to apt-get update and --allow-unauthenticated to apt-get install, disabling repository and package authenticity checks. Exploitation requires control of traffic between a build environment and an Ubuntu archive or mirror, enabling a malicious package to enter the chroot and contaminate its build outputs.

CVSS severity8.4
High
EPSS probability0.51%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Insufficient package authentication in Canonical pc-kernel 2019-07-16 and earlier allows man-in-the-middle attackers to compromise build chroots. The kernel-snap Makefiles pass --allow-insecure-repositories to apt-get update and --allow-unauthenticated to apt-get install, disabling repository and package authenticity checks. Exploitation requires control of traffic between a build environment and an Ubuntu archive or mirror, enabling a malicious package to enter the chroot and contaminate its build outputs.

The record

CVE
CVE-2019-11480
Published
Apr 14, 2020
Updated
Sep 16, 2024
Vendor
Canonical
Product
pc-kernel
Classifications
CWE-345, CWE-353, T1195.002
Attack vector
adjacent
Privileges
Unavailable

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Apr 14, 2020CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 16, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=unspecified <=2019-07-16

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectoradjacent
Required privilegesUnavailable in this record.

What is affected?

Canonical · pc-kernelversion=unspecified <=2019-07-16

Published CVSS scores

6.8NIST NVDAV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
8.4Canonical Ltd.CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
8.1NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectoradjacent
PrivilegesUnavailable
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-345Insufficient Verification of Data Authenticity
CWE-353Missing Support for Integrity Check
T1195.002Compromise Software Supply Chain

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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