CVE-2019-11539
Ivanti Pulse Connect Secure and Policy Secure Command Injection Vulnerability
Does this matter?
Known to be exploited in the wild (CISA KEV, CISA remediation deadline 3 May 2022). Treat as an emergency change: patch or isolate now, then hunt for prior compromise.
Description
In Pulse Secure Pulse Connect Secure version 9.0RX before 9.0R3.4, 8.3RX before 8.3R7.1, 8.2RX before 8.2R12.1, and 8.1RX before 8.1R15.1 and Pulse Policy Secure version 9.0RX before 9.0R3.2, 5.4RX before 5.4R7.1, 5.3RX before 5.3R12.1, 5.2RX before 5.2R12.1, and 5.1RX before 5.1R15.1, the admin web interface allows an authenticated attacker to inject and execute commands.
- CVSS 3.1
- 7.2 HIGHCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- EPSS
- 98.54% probability · 100th percentile
- Public exploits
- 2 in Exploit-DB · verified · first 6 September 2019
- CISA KEV
- Listed 3 November 2021 · due 3 May 2022 · used in ransomware campaigns
- Weakness
- CWE-78
- Affected
- ivanti/connect secure · ivanti/policy secure · pulsesecure/pulse policy secure
- Source
- cve@mitre.org
EPSS 98.5% since 27 October 2026; no change recorded yet. The dashed line is the ten per cent mark our analysts treat as “patch before the next change window”. Points are recorded when the score first appears and whenever it moves by a percentage point or more.
CISA notes
Apply updates per vendor instructions. https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-11539
Public exploits (2)
Entries in Exploit-DB that cite this CVE. Links go to the Exploit-DB page and to the file in the public repository; nothing is hosted here. A verified tick means the Exploit-DB team confirmed the exploit works against the stated version.
References
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/154376/Pulse-Secure-8.1R15.1-8.2-8.3-9.0-SSL-VPN-Remote-Code-Execution.htmlThird Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/155277/Pulse-Secure-VPN-Arbitrary-Command-Execution.htmlThird Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/162092/Pulse-Secure-VPN-Arbitrary-Command-Execution.htmlBroken Link, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/108073Broken Link, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- https://devco.re/blog/2019/09/02/attacking-ssl-vpn-part-3-the-golden-Pulse-Secure-ssl-vpn-rce-chain-with-Twitter-as-case-study/Exploit, Third Party Advisory
- https://i.blackhat.com/USA-19/Wednesday/us-19-Tsai-Infiltrating-Corporate-Intranet-Like-NSA.pdfExploit, Third Party Advisory
- https://kb.pulsesecure.net/articles/Pulse_Security_Advisories/SA44101Third Party Advisory, Vendor Advisory
- https://psirt.global.sonicwall.com/vuln-detail/SNWLID-2019-0010Third Party Advisory
- https://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/927237Third Party Advisory, US Government Resource
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/154376/Pulse-Secure-8.1R15.1-8.2-8.3-9.0-SSL-VPN-Remote-Code-Execution.htmlThird Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/155277/Pulse-Secure-VPN-Arbitrary-Command-Execution.htmlThird Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/162092/Pulse-Secure-VPN-Arbitrary-Command-Execution.htmlBroken Link, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/108073Broken Link, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- https://devco.re/blog/2019/09/02/attacking-ssl-vpn-part-3-the-golden-Pulse-Secure-ssl-vpn-rce-chain-with-Twitter-as-case-study/Exploit, Third Party Advisory
- https://i.blackhat.com/USA-19/Wednesday/us-19-Tsai-Infiltrating-Corporate-Intranet-Like-NSA.pdfExploit, Third Party Advisory
- https://kb.pulsesecure.net/articles/Pulse_Security_Advisories/SA44101Third Party Advisory, Vendor Advisory
- https://psirt.global.sonicwall.com/vuln-detail/SNWLID-2019-0010Third Party Advisory
- https://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/927237Third Party Advisory, US Government Resource
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2019-11539US Government Resource
Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA, exploits from Exploit-DB. Refreshed daily. Download this record as JSON.