CVE-2019-18659 — MEDIUM (5.3)

Vulnerability Description

The Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) protocol allows remote attackers to spoof a Presidential Alert because cryptographic authentication is not used, as demonstrated by MessageIdentifier 4370 in LTE System Information Block 12 (aka SIB12). NOTE: testing inside an RF-isolated shield box suggested that all LTE phones are affected by design (e.g., use of Android versus iOS does not matter); testing in an open RF environment is, of course, contraindicated.

CVSS Score

5.3

MEDIUM

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N

Attack Vector

NETWORK

Attack Complexity

LOW

Privileges Required

NONE

User Interaction

NONE

Scope

UNCHANGED

Confidentiality

NONE

Integrity

LOW

Availability

NONE

Affected Products

Vendor	Product	Versions
Ready	Wireless Emergency Alerts	-

Related Weaknesses (CWE)

CWE-290

References

https://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=3326082Third Party Advisory
https://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=3326082Third Party Advisory

FAQ

What is CVE-2019-18659?

CVE-2019-18659 is a vulnerability with a CVSS score of 5.3 (MEDIUM). The Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) protocol allows remote attackers to spoof a Presidential Alert because cryptographic authentication is not used, as demonstrated by MessageIdentifier 4370 in LTE Sy...

How severe is CVE-2019-18659?

CVE-2019-18659 has been rated MEDIUM with a CVSS base score of 5.3/10. Review the CVSS metrics above for detailed severity breakdown.

Is there a patch for CVE-2019-18659?

Check the references section above for vendor advisories and patch information. Affected products include: Ready Wireless Emergency Alerts.