Description
It was discovered systemd does not correctly check the content of PIDFile files before using it to kill processes. When a service is run from an unprivileged user (e.g. User field set in the service file), a local attacker who is able to write to the PIDFile of the mentioned service may use this flaw to trick systemd into killing other services and/or privileged processes. Versions before v237 are vulnerable.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| The systemd Project | systemd | v237 | — |
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Debian
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 14 | systemd | 237-1 | — |
| Debian 13 | systemd | 237-1 | — |
| Debian 12 | systemd | 237-1 | — |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 18.04 LTS | systemd | 237-3ubuntu10.38 | USN-4269-1 |
| Ubuntu 16.04 LTS | systemd | 229-4ubuntu21.27 | USN-4269-1 |
Red Hat
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| RHEL 7 | systemd +9 | 219-67.el7 | RHSA-2019:2091 |
Oracle Linux
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oracle Linux 7 | systemd +9 | 219-67.0.1.el7 | ELSA-2019-2091 |
Advisories 3
- RHSA-2019:2091 Red Hat Security Advisory: systemd security, bug fix, and enhancement update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jun 27, 2026
- USN-4269-1 systemd vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Apr 27, 2026
- ELSA-2019-2091 Moderate: systemd security, bug fix, and enhancement update (Oracle Linux 7) Oracle Linux Security Advisories (ELSA) · Aug 13, 2019