CVE-2019-18988 — TeamViewer Desktop Bypass Remote Login Vulnerability
TeamViewer Desktop through 14.7.1965 allows a bypass of remote-login access control because the same key is used for different customers' installations. It used a shared AES key for all installations since at least as far back as v7.0.43148, and used it for at least OptionsPasswordAES in the current version of the product. If an attacker were to know this key, they could decrypt protect information stored in the registry or configuration files of TeamViewer. With versions before v9.x , this allowed for attackers to decrypt the Unattended Access password to the system (which allows for remote login to the system as well as headless file browsing). The latest version still uses the same key for OptionPasswordAES but appears to have changed how the Unattended Access password is stored. While in most cases an attacker requires an existing session on a system, if the registry/configuration keys were stored off of the machine (such as in a file share or online), an attacker could then decrypt the required password to login to the system.
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- Confirmed exploitation (CISA KEV)+35
- EPSS 4.7% (30-day exploitation probability)+14
- Technical severity (high)+6
The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.
CISA SSVC assessment CISA
Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.
Remediation
Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.
No fix documented by the sources we poll. That does not mean none exists: check the vendor advisory.
CISA required action CISA
Apply updates per vendor instructions.
US federal deadline: May 3, 2022 — passed 1626 day(s) ago
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.
- Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Teamviewer Teamviewer).
- Treat as emergency remediation: the CVE is in CISA KEV (confirmed exploitation).
- No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
- EPSS ahead of 92% of scored CVEs: prioritize it in the patch queue.
- Search available logs for exploit probes matching the vulnerability class (authentication), errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teamviewer | Teamviewer | ≤ 14.7.1965 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.0 | CVSS 3.1 | High | 1.0 | 5.9 | nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 7.0 | CVSS 3.1 | High | 1.0 | 5.9 | 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0 via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 7.0 | CVSS 3.1 | High | — | — | GitHub, Inc. via GitHub Security Advisories |
| 7.0 | CVSS 3.1 | High | — | — | CISA-ADP via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| 4.4 | CVSS 2.0 | Medium | 3.4 | 6.4 | nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H (score shown at the top: nvd@nist.gov) Weakness MITRE
Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.
CISA KEV details CISA
CISA lists a CVE once it has evidence of exploitation against real targets.
CISA records ransomware use only for campaigns it has confirmed, so “Unknown” means unrecorded, not ruled out. The deadline binds US federal agencies; for everyone else it is a reference date.
EPSS over time FIRST
Oct 13, 2026 → Oct 14, 2026 · 2 reading(s) · max 4.71%
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Local/physical vector: focus on endpoint telemetry (EDR) from affected hosts.
- Review authentication logs: logins without MFA, anomalous sessions and recently created accounts.
- Hunt retroactively in logs from before Nov 3, 2021 (KEV listing): exploitation may have started earlier.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- SSVC assessment updated
- Record published
- Affected products added · teamviewer/teamviewer
- CVSS changed · 7.0
- Source status changed · → Analyzed
- Added to CISA KEV (detected)
- Record created in this database
- 2021
- Added to CISA KEV catalog
- 2020
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 2× References added · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026
References
8 on the record
- community.teamviewer.com/t5/Knowledge-Base/tkb-p/Knowledgebase
- community.teamviewer.com/t5/Announcements/Specification-on-CVE-2019-18988/td-p/82264
- www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-18988
- whynotsecurity.com/blog/teamviewer
- whynotsecurity.com/blog/teamviewer/
- github.com/advisories/GHSA-98mp-frx2-qv94
- twitter.com/Blurbdust/status/1224212682594770946
Elsewhere on this site
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record
Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2019-18988 is "TeamViewer Desktop Bypass Remote Login Vulnerability", rated High. It affects Teamviewer (Teamviewer); versions are in the scope table. It is in CISA KEV: there is evidence of real-world exploitation. CVSS 7.0 describes technical severity. EPSS 4.71% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.
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