CVE intelligence and bounded remediation

CVE-2019-19141 — Plex Media Server security vulnerability

High CVSS 8.8

The Camera Upload functionality in Plex Media Server through 1.18.2.2029 allows remote authenticated users to write files anywhere the user account running the Plex Media Server has permissions. This allows remote code execution via a variety of methods, such as (on a default Ubuntu installation) creating a .ssh folder in the plex user's home directory via directory traversal, uploading an SSH authorized_keys file there, and logging into the host as the Plex user via SSH.

Severity
High
CVSS
8.8 (3.1)
Published
2019-12-19
CISA KEV
Not currently listed
Ecosystem
software/application
Weaknesses
CWE-22

Affected products

  • plex / media_server

Matched remediation archetype

Path traversal, unsafe upload, and file handling

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Check exposure

  • Trace untrusted filenames, archive entries, URLs, and path segments into read, write, include, extraction, and upload operations.
  • Identify filesystem roots, mount permissions, symbolic-link behavior, archive handling, and whether uploaded content is web-accessible or executable.
  • Review canonicalization and containment checks across supported operating systems and storage backends.

Remediate safely

  • Generate server-side storage identifiers and resolve paths beneath a fixed root using filesystem-aware containment checks.
  • Reject absolute, parent-relative, alternate-separator, device, link, and archive entries that escape the intended root.
  • Store uploads outside executable or served paths, validate type and size, and use private atomic temporary files.

Authoritative sources

Complete CVE record and remediation plan

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