CVE-2019-14873Network attack vector

Program crash via unchecked big-integer allocation

Published Mar 19, 2020 · Updated Aug 5, 2024

NULL pointer dereference in Newlib before 3.3.0 allows attackers to crash embedded programs by exhausting memory during big-integer work. The __multadd function passes a failed Balloc result to Bcopy, which dereferences the null destination while copying a big integer. Exploitation requires an affected firmware path to invoke the routine under low-memory conditions; the bounded consequence is a program crash.

CVSS severity6.5
Medium
EPSS probability1.30%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

NULL pointer dereference in Newlib before 3.3.0 allows attackers to crash embedded programs by exhausting memory during big-integer work. The __multadd function passes a failed Balloc result to Bcopy, which dereferences the null destination while copying a big integer. Exploitation requires an affected firmware path to invoke the routine under low-memory conditions; the bounded consequence is a program crash.

The record

CVE
CVE-2019-14873
Published
Mar 19, 2020
Updated
Aug 5, 2024
Vendor
Newlib Project
Product
Newlib
Classifications
CWE-476, T1499.004
Attack vector
network
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 19, 2020CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 5, 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=all newlib versions prior to 3.3.0

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Newlib Project · Newlibversion=all newlib versions prior to 3.3.0

Published CVSS scores

6.5Red HatCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
6.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
4.0NIST NVDAV:N/AC:L/Au:S/C:N/I:N/A:P

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.

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No observations available

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

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-476NULL Pointer Dereference
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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