Description
Insufficient validation of environment variables in the telnet client supplied in Junos OS can lead to stack-based buffer overflows, which can be exploited to bypass veriexec restrictions on Junos OS. A stack-based overflow is present in the handling of environment variables when connecting via the telnet client to remote telnet servers. This issue only affects the telnet client — accessible from the CLI or shell — in Junos OS. Inbound telnet services are not affected by this issue. This issue affects: Juniper Networks Junos OS: 12.3 versions prior to 12.3R12-S13; 12.3X48 versions prior to 12.3X48-D80; 14.1X53 versions prior to 14.1X53-D130, 14.1X53-D49; 15.1 versions prior to 15.1F6-S12, 15.1R7-S4; 15.1X49 versions prior to 15.1X49-D170; 15.1X53 versions prior to 15.1X53-D237, 15.1X53-D496, 15.1X53-D591, 15.1X53-D69; 16.1 versions prior to 16.1R3-S11, 16.1R7-S4; 16.2 versions prior to 16.2R2-S9; 17.1 versions prior to 17.1R3; 17.2 versions prior to 17.2R1-S8, 17.2R2-S7, 17.2R3-S1; 17.3 versions prior to 17.3R3-S4; 17.4 versions prior to 17.4R1-S6, 17.4R2-S3, 17.4R3; 18.1 versions prior to 18.1R2-S4, 18.1R3-S3; 18.2 versions prior to 18.2R1-S5, 18.2R2-S2, 18.2R3; 18.2X75 versions prior to 18.2X75-D40; 18.3 versions prior to 18.3R1-S3, 18.3R2; 18.4 versions prior to 18.4R1-S2, 18.4R2.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Juniper Networks | Junos OS | 12.3 versions prior to 12.3R12-S13, 12.3X48 versions prior to 12.3X48-D80, 14.1X53 versions prior to 14.1X53-D130 and 14.1X53-D49, 15.1 versions prior to 15.1F6-S12 and15.1R7-S4, 15.1X49 versions prior to 15.1X49-D170, 15.1X53 versions prior to 15.1X53-D237 and 15.1X53-D496 and 15.1X53-D591 and 15.… | — |
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 | inetutils | 2:1.9.4-11 | — |
| Debian 13 | inetutils | 2:1.9.4-11 | — |
| Debian 12 | inetutils | 2:1.9.4-11 | — |
| Debian 10 | inetutils | 2:1.9.4-7+deb10u3 | DLA-3611-1 |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 18.04 LTS | socks4-server | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 16.04 LTS | socks4-server | No fix yet | — |
Show 3 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu Pro 18.04 LTS | inetutils | 2:1.9.4-3ubuntu0.1+esm2 | USN-7781-1 |
| Ubuntu Pro 16.04 LTS | inetutils | 2:1.9.4-1ubuntu0.1~esm3 | USN-7781-1 |
| Ubuntu Pro 14.04 LTS | inetutils | 2:1.9.2-1ubuntu0.1~esm2 | USN-7781-1 |
Public exploits
Exploit or proof-of-concept code for this vulnerability is publicly available, which lowers the bar for attackers. Treat it as a reason to patch sooner.
GitHub 1 repository
-
dreamsmasher/inetutils-CVE-2019-0053-Patched-PKGBUILD ★ 1 · Feb 28, 2020
A patched Arch Linux PKGBUILD to address CVE-2019-0053 (buffer overflow). Downloads and applies a (currently) unreleased patch from upstream.
Sources: PoC-in-GitHub, Metasploit Framework, Exploit-DB — updated daily. Only links are listed; no exploit code is hosted here.
Advisories 2
- USN-7781-1 inetutils vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Jun 25, 2026
- DLA-3611-1 inetutils - security update Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
References
- https://kb.juniper.net/JSA10947
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/45982
- FreeBSD-SA-19:12 vendor-advisory
- 20190724 FreeBSD Security Advisory FreeBSD-SA-19:12.telnet mailing-list
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/153746/FreeBSD-Security-Advisory-FreeBSD-SA-19-12.telnet.html
- [debian-lts-announce] 20221125 [SECURITY] [DLA 3205-1] inetutils security update mailing-list
- [debian-lts-announce] 20231008 [SECURITY] [DLA 3611-1] inetutils security update mailing-list