CVE-2019-18988
TeamViewer Desktop Bypass Remote Login Vulnerability
- High 7.0
- Exploited: added to CISA KEV 3 Nov 2021
Description
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.
Key facts
- Published
- 7 Feb 2020
- Last changed
- 21 Oct 2025
- Assigned by
- mitre
- KEV added
- 3 Nov 2021
- KEV fix due
- 3 May 2022
- EPSS
- 4.707% likely to be exploited in the next 30 days, higher than 91.959% of CVEs (scores for 15 Nov 2026)
- SSVC (CISA)
- Exploitation: active; Automatable: no; Technical impact: partial
Severity scores
Each score is shown as its source gave it. They are not averaged or merged.
- 7.0CVSS 3.1, Highfrom CISA (ADP container)
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
What to do
- Apply updates per vendor instructions.CISA KEV required action
Historical context and remediation
This reference retains the original CVE publication date. A recent record update does not mean a new attack occurred.
No separately sourced impact summary is available on this page yet. Consult the description, version data and dated exploitation evidence.
Version statuses below come from the CNA. An “unaffected” version is not necessarily a currently supported release or proof of a patch date. EPSS is a dated risk estimate, not a count of historical attacks.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Versions |
|---|---|---|
| n/a | n/a |
|
Timeline
- 7 Feb 2020 Published
- 3 Nov 2021 CVE-2019-18988 added to CISA KEV
- 3 Nov 2021 Added to the CISA KEV catalogue