CVE-2019-16941
NSA Ghidra through 9.0.4, when experimental mode is enabled, allows arbitrary code execution if the Read XML Files feature of Bit Patterns Explorer is used with a modified XML document.
Does this matter?
High impact if exploited, but EPSS currently rates exploitation as unlikely (5.13%). Schedule it in the normal patch cycle and watch for a rise in EPSS or a public exploit.
Description
NSA Ghidra through 9.0.4, when experimental mode is enabled, allows arbitrary code execution if the Read XML Files feature of Bit Patterns Explorer is used with a modified XML document. This occurs in Features/BytePatterns/src/main/java/ghidra/bitpatterns/info/FileBitPatternInfoReader.java. An attack could start with an XML document that was originally created by DumpFunctionPatternInfoScript but then directly modified by an attacker (for example, to make a java.lang.Runtime.exec call).
- CVSS 3.1
- 9.8 CRITICALCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- EPSS
- 5.13% probability · 92th percentile
- Public exploits
- None in Exploit-DB
- CISA KEV
- Not listed
- Weakness
- CWE-91
- Affected
- nsa/ghidra
- Source
- cve@mitre.org
EPSS 5.1% since 26 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.
References
- https://github.com/NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra/blob/79d8f164f8bb8b15cfb60c5d4faeb8e1c25d15ca/Ghidra/Features/BytePatterns/src/main/java/ghidra/bitpatterns/info/FileBitPatternInfoReader.java#L187-L188Third Party Advisory
- https://github.com/NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra/commit/a17728f8c12effa171b17a25ccfb7e7d9528c5d0
- https://github.com/NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra/issues/1090Exploit, Issue Tracking, Patch, Third Party Advisory
- https://github.com/purpleracc00n/CVE-2019-16941
- https://twitter.com/NSAGov/status/1178812792159248385
- https://www.symantec.com/security-center/vulnerabilities/writeup/110223?om_rssid=sr-advisories
- https://github.com/NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra/blob/79d8f164f8bb8b15cfb60c5d4faeb8e1c25d15ca/Ghidra/Features/BytePatterns/src/main/java/ghidra/bitpatterns/info/FileBitPatternInfoReader.java#L187-L188Third Party Advisory
- https://github.com/NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra/commit/a17728f8c12effa171b17a25ccfb7e7d9528c5d0
- https://github.com/NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra/issues/1090Exploit, Issue Tracking, Patch, Third Party Advisory
- https://github.com/purpleracc00n/CVE-2019-16941
- https://twitter.com/NSAGov/status/1178812792159248385
- https://www.symantec.com/security-center/vulnerabilities/writeup/110223?om_rssid=sr-advisories
Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA, exploits from Exploit-DB. Refreshed daily. Download this record as JSON.