What is the CVSS score of CVE-2019-11510?

CVE-2019-11510 has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 10.0 (Critical). CVSS vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H. EPSS exploitation probability: 94.4%.

Is there a public PoC exploit available for CVE-2019-11510?

Yes, a public proof-of-concept exploit is available for CVE-2019-11510. Prioritise patching immediately. EPSS: 94.4%.

How to fix or mitigate CVE-2019-11510?

Within 24 hours: Identify all affected systems and apply vendor patches immediately. Review file handling controls and restrict upload directories.

CVE-2019-11510

CRITICAL

Path Traversal (CWE-22)

2019-05-08 cve@mitre.org

10.0

CVSS 3.1 · NVD

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Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness	CWE CWE-22 OWASP Top 10:2025 A01:2021 - Broken Access Control ASVS 5.0 V4 - Access Control Authorization enforcement, RBAC validation MITRE ATT&CK 2 techniques across 2 tactics: Discovery, Collection The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. Sign in to read
Impact	Critical risk (CVSS 10.0, EPSS 94.4%). One of the most devastating VPN vulnerabilities ever disclosed. APT5, APT41, Sandworm, and multiple ransomware groups exploited this extensively from August 2019 onward. Compromised credentials provided direct access to corporate networks worldwide.
Exploit ScenarioDerived	Attackers send a single crafted HTTP request to read /dana-na/cached/hc/HostCheckerInstallation/Windows/Pulse.exe/../../../etc/passwd and session files. Extracted VPN session tokens allow immediate network access. Cached AD credentials provide persistent access even after the VPN is patched.

Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Why: In CISA KEV with patch available.

Exploited in the wild (CISA KEV) Patch available 94.4% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Mar 26, 2026

Pulse Secure Pulse Connect Secure contains a pre-authentication arbitrary file reading vulnerability that allows unauthenticated remote attackers to read any file from the VPN appliance, including cached credentials and session tokens.

Earlier versions of this analysis (1)

v1 Mar 26, 2026 - 11:19 CVSS 10.0

A critical pre-authentication arbitrary file read vulnerability in Pulse Secure VPN appliances allows unauthenticated attackers to retrieve any file from the system, including plaintext credentials and session cookies, enabling complete VPN infrastructure compromise.

RemediationAI

Patch immediately. After patching, rotate ALL Active Directory credentials that were cached on the VPN appliance. Revoke all active VPN sessions. Enable MFA for VPN access. Review authentication logs for unauthorized access using stolen credentials.

Affected ProductsAI

Pulse Secure Pulse Connect Secure 8.2 before 8.2R12.1 Pulse Secure PCS 8.3 before 8.3R7.1 Pulse Secure PCS 9.0 before 9.0R3.4

Affects your stack

Find out whether the stacks and servers you run are on an affected version.

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

The CWE-22 path traversal vulnerability allows unauthenticated requests to read arbitrary files by sending a crafted URI to the VPN web interface. Critical files exposed include /etc/passwd, /etc/shadow (encrypted), and most importantly the session database containing cached AD credentials in plaintext and active VPN session cookies.

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Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

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Severity by source

NVD PRIMARY 10.0 CRITICAL

AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

Primary rating from NVD · only source for this CVE.

CVSS VectorNVD

Attack Vector

Network

Attack Complexity

Low

Privileges Required

None

User Interaction

None

Scope

Changed

Confidentiality

High

Integrity

High

Availability

High

Lifecycle Timeline

Added to CISA KEV

Dec 18, 2025 - 02:00 cisa

CISA KEV

PoC Detected

Dec 18, 2025 - 02:00 vuln.today

Public exploit code

Patch released

Dec 18, 2025 - 02:00 nvd

Patch available

CVE Published

May 08, 2019 - 17:29 nvd

CRITICAL 10.0

DescriptionCVE.org

In Pulse Secure Pulse Connect Secure (PCS) 8.2 before 8.2R12.1, 8.3 before 8.3R7.1, and 9.0 before 9.0R3.4, an unauthenticated remote attacker can send a specially crafted URI to perform an arbitrary file reading vulnerability .

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

CVE-2019-11510 presents critical security risk, a path traversal vulnerability rated CVSS 10.0. This could allow attackers to access or modify files outside intended directories, potentially exposing sensitive configuration or credentials. This vulnerability is actively exploited in the wild (KEV-listed) and requires immediate remediation. A patch is available and should be applied immediately given the critical severity.

Business Impact: Severe

Compensating Controls

Apply vendor patch. If immediate patching is not feasible: (1) Restrict file upload functionality via WAF; (2) Implement allowlist-based file type validation; (3) Use chroot/containerization to limit filesystem access.

Threat Intelligence Overview

Threat Score

9.8/10

Composite threat intelligence

EPSS Score

94.4%

Top 0% exploitable

Threat Intel

1 sources

Exploit

POC

Public exploit code exists

Data Quality

6 sources

Confidence: High

NVD

CVE.org

CISA KEV

EPSS CISA POC (2) THREAT

Exploit-DB

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue

Severity CRITICAL

CISA KEV Yes

Public POC Yes

EPSS 94.4%

Patch available Yes

Active threat Yes

Deciding rule

In CISA KEV with patch available

What every action level means

Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.

Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.

This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.

Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.