# CVE-2019-11510: Ivanti - Path Traversal

> Live exploitation tracking for CVE-2019-11510 by the CrowdSec Live Exploit Tracker, built from real-world attack data crowdsourced from CrowdSec's global network.

Page: https://tracker.crowdsec.net/cves/CVE-2019-11510

## Key facts

- **Exploitation phase:** Limited Exploitation. The vulnerability is known but shows very limited attacker interest or exploitation activity.
- **CVSS score:** 10.0
- **Public exploit available:** Yes
- **Affected products:** Ivanti Pulse Connect Secure
- **Weaknesses:** CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal'))
- **Tags:** enterprise_software, firewall

## Description

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 .

## CrowdSec analysis

[CVE-2019-11510](https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/CVE-2019-11510) is a critical vulnerability affecting Pulse Connect Secure, allowing unauthenticated attackers to read arbitrary files through crafted requests.

CrowdSec has been tracking this vulnerability and its exploits since 9th of December 2021.

Data from the CrowdSec community indicates that exploitation of CVE-2019-11510 is highly selective and intelligence-driven. Threat actors use advanced reconnaissance and carefully choose their targets, often as part of sophisticated campaigns or advanced persistent threat operations.
In addition, according to the CrowdSec network, attack volume against CVE-2019-11510 has dipped slightly compared to the previous week. Although still commonly targeted, the decline suggests a cooling-off period. Long-term relevance remains, but attention is waning.

Exploitation attempts typically involve accessing specifically crafted URLs designed to leverage the file read vulnerability in Pulse Connect Secure.

## Timeline

- 2019-05-08: CVE Published. CVE-2019-11510 is published to NVD.
- 2021-11-03: CISA KEV. CVE-2019-11510 is added to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog by CISA.
- 2021-12-09: Rule Released. CrowdSec releases a rule to detect CVE-2019-11510 exploitation attempts against the CrowdSec Network.
- 2022-05-03: CISA Remediation Deadline. Expiration of the CISA remediation deadline as described in [BOD 22-01](https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives/bod-22-01-reducing-significant-risk-known-exploited-vulnerabilities).
- 2024-11-25: CrowdSec First Seen. CrowdSec observes in-the-wild exploitation of CVE-2019-11510 for the first time.

## References

- https://psirt.global.sonicwall.com/vuln-detail/SNWLID-2019-0010
- https://i.blackhat.com/USA-19/Wednesday/us-19-Tsai-Infiltrating-Corporate-Intranet-Like-NSA.pdf
- https://devco.re/blog/2019/09/02/attacking-ssl-vpn-part-3-the-golden-Pulse-Secure-ssl-vpn-rce-chain-with-Twitter-as-case-study/
- https://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/927237
- https://github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei-templates/blob/main/http/cves/2019/CVE-2019-11510.yaml

## Live exploitation data

The [Live Exploit Tracker page](https://tracker.crowdsec.net/cves/CVE-2019-11510) follows observed exploitation activity for CVE-2019-11510. [Request an API key](https://tracker.crowdsec.net/request-api-key) for full access to its exploitation timeline, attacking IP addresses and blocklists.