CVE-2019-15551 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

A problem was found in the smallvec crate prior to version 0.6.10 for Rust, allowing for a double free in certain growth attempts.

Understanding CVE-2019-15551

An issue was discovered in the smallvec crate before version 0.6.10 for Rust, leading to a double free vulnerability in specific growth scenarios.

What is CVE-2019-15551?

The CVE-2019-15551 vulnerability is a double free flaw in the smallvec crate before version 0.6.10 for Rust, potentially leading to security issues.

The Impact of CVE-2019-15551

This vulnerability could be exploited to cause a denial of service (DoS) or potentially execute arbitrary code on systems using the affected versions.

Technical Details of CVE-2019-15551

The technical details of the CVE-2019-15551 vulnerability are as follows:

Vulnerability Description

The smallvec crate before version 0.6.10 for Rust is susceptible to a double free issue during certain growth attempts, posing a security risk.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Not applicable
Vendor: Not applicable
Versions affected: Not applicable

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability arises due to improper handling of memory allocation and deallocation in the smallvec crate, potentially leading to a double free scenario.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2019-15551, consider the following mitigation strategies:

Immediate Steps to Take

Upgrade to version 0.6.10 or later of the smallvec crate to mitigate the double free vulnerability.
Monitor official sources for security advisories and patches related to the smallvec crate.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement secure coding practices to prevent memory-related vulnerabilities in Rust applications.
Regularly update dependencies and libraries to ensure the latest security patches are applied.

Patching and Updates

Apply patches and updates provided by the smallvec crate maintainers to address the CVE-2019-15551 vulnerability.