CVE-2019-18874: Double Free

Published Nov 7, 2019
·
Updated

A double free issue has been discovered in python-psutil because of the mishandling of refcounts while converting system data into Python objects in functions like psutildiskpartitions(), psutilusers(), psutilnetifaddrs(), and others. In particular cases, a local attacker may be able to get code execution by manipulating system resources that python-psutil then tries to convert.

Other sources

psutil (aka python-psutil) through 5.6.5 can have a double free. This occurs because of refcount mishandling within a while or for loop that converts system data into a Python object.

Affected Software

11 affected componentsFixes available
redhat/python-psutil<0:5.4.3-11.el8
0:5.4.3-11.el8
redhat/python-psutil<0:5.6.6-1.el7a
0:5.6.6-1.el7a
redhat/python-psutil<0:5.7.2-2.el7
0:5.7.2-2.el7
redhat/rh-python38-python<0:3.8.6-1.el7
0:3.8.6-1.el7
redhat/rh-python38-python-psutil<0:5.6.4-5.el7
0:5.6.4-5.el7
redhat/rh-python38-python-urllib3<0:1.25.7-6.el7
0:1.25.7-6.el7
redhat/python-psutil<5.6.6
5.6.6
pip/psutil<=5.6.5
5.6.6
Psutil Project Psutil<=5.6.5
IBM Edge Application Manager<=4.5
debian/python-psutil
5.8.0-15.9.4-17.0.0-27.1.0-1

Event History

Nov 7, 2019
CVE Published
12:00 AM
Nov 12, 2019
CVE Published
via MITRE·01:30 AM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·01:30 AM
Description
Data Sourced
via NVD·02:15 AM
DescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software
Mar 12, 2020
Advisory Published
via GitHub·05:02 PM
Aug 20, 2025
Data Sourced
via IBM·12:00 AM
DescriptionAffected Software
Feb 21, 2026
Data Sourced
via Ubuntu·12:28 AM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Data Sourced
via Debian·12:28 AM
DescriptionAffected Software
Data Sourced
via Launchpad·12:29 AM
Description
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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2019-18874?

CVE-2019-18874 has been classified as a medium severity vulnerability.

2

How do I fix CVE-2019-18874?

To fix CVE-2019-18874, upgrade to python-psutil version 5.6.6 or newer as specified by the vendor.

3

What software is affected by CVE-2019-18874?

CVE-2019-18874 affects the python-psutil package across several versions including 5.4.3-11.el8 and earlier.

4

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2019-18874?

CVE-2019-18874 is a double free vulnerability due to mishandling of reference counts.

5

Who can exploit CVE-2019-18874?

CVE-2019-18874 can potentially be exploited by local attackers.

Contact

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