CVE-2019-3697Public exploit

Root escalation via relinked access log

Published Jan 24, 2020 · Updated Sep 17, 2024

Symlink following in openSUSE Leap 15.1 gnump3d 3.0-lp151.2.1 and earlier allows local users to escalate from gnump3d to root. The package's post-installation script creates access.log and then applies chmod and chown by pathname without ensuring that the file remains the one it created, so relinking the path redirects those operations to /etc/shadow. Exploitation requires access as the gnump3d service account and a successful race during package installation; it can transfer ownership of root-owned files and yield root access.

CVSS severity7.7
High
EPSS probability0.52%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Symlink following in openSUSE Leap 15.1 gnump3d 3.0-lp151.2.1 and earlier allows local users to escalate from gnump3d to root. The package's post-installation script creates access.log and then applies chmod and chown by pathname without ensuring that the file remains the one it created, so relinking the path redirects those operations to /etc/shadow. Exploitation requires access as the gnump3d service account and a successful race during package installation; it can transfer ownership of root-owned files and yield root access.

The record

CVE
CVE-2019-3697
Published
Jan 24, 2020
Updated
Sep 17, 2024
Vendor
OpenSUSE
Product
openSUSE Leap
Classifications
CWE-59, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jan 24, 2020CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 17, 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=gnump3d <=3.0-lp151.2.1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

OpenSUSE · openSUSE Leapversion=gnump3d <=3.0-lp151.2.1

Published CVSS scores

7.2NVDAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
7.8NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.7SUSE CNACVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N

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 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-59Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

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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