CVE-2019-16880
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in the linea Rust crate allows double-free memory corruption through the Matrix::zip_elements method. Attackers can exploit this to execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service. Any Rust application using vulnerable versions of the linea crate is affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- linea Rust crate
📦 What is this software?
Linea by Linea Project
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Remote code execution leading to complete system compromise, data theft, or ransomware deployment.
Likely Case
Application crash or denial of service due to memory corruption.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if application runs with minimal privileges and proper memory protections.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires triggering the vulnerable Matrix::zip_elements method with crafted input.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: linea 0.9.5 and later
Vendor Advisory: https://rustsec.org/advisories/RUSTSEC-2019-0021.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Cargo.toml to require linea >=0.9.5
2. Run 'cargo update --package linea'
3. Rebuild and redeploy your application
4. Restart affected services
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Avoid vulnerable method
allRefactor code to avoid using Matrix::zip_elements method
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict input validation for all data passed to linea crate methods
- Run application with minimal privileges and memory protection mechanisms (ASLR, DEP)
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Cargo.lock or run 'cargo tree | grep linea' to see if version <=0.9.4 is usedCheck Version:
cargo tree | grep lineaVerify Fix Applied:
Verify 'cargo tree | grep linea' shows version >=0.9.5 and application functions normally📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Application crashes with segmentation faults
- Memory corruption errors in Rust panic logs
Network Indicators:
- Unusual traffic patterns to applications using linea crate
SIEM Query:
Search for process crashes with 'linea' in module path or Rust panic messages containing 'double free'