PatchTheCVECVE-2019-19781: Citrix ADC, Gateway, and SD-WAN WANOP Appliance Code Execution Vulnerability
CVE-2019-19781 is a critical-severity flaw (CVSS 9.8) affecting application delivery controller firmware, netscaler gateway firmware, gateway firmware, reported as exploited in the wild. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.
An issue was discovered in Citrix Application Delivery Controller (ADC) and Gateway 10.5, 11.1, 12.0, 12.1, and 13.0. They allow Directory Traversal.
Why this priority
- Critical severity
- EPSS top 1%: very likely to be exploited
- Exploited in the wild (CISA KEV)
- Used in ransomware campaigns
- Public exploit reference
- CISA SSVC: automatable with total technical impact
- Remotely exploitable, no login, no user action
A fixed release or distro patch exists.
Risk facts
| CVSS score | 9.8 (Critical) |
| Attack vector | Network (remote) |
| Attack complexity | Low |
| Privileges needed | None |
| User interaction | None |
| EPSS exploit chance | 100.0% (top 1%) |
| CISA exploited list | Yes, fix due 2022-05-03, used in ransomware |
| Weakness | CWE-22 |
| Published | 2019-12-27 |
| Last modified | 2026-08-12 |
Last updated 2026-08-12 · Sources: CVE Program, NVD, CISA KEV, EPSS and vendor advisories · How we score
Am I affected?
Timeline
- Published CVE record published
- Exploited Added to the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list
- Deadline CISA due date for US federal agencies to patch
- Updated Record last modified
Exact fixes by distribution
Public exploits and detection
Public code exists for this CVE. Treat unpatched systems as at risk, and only run PoCs in a lab.
- GitHub PoC: trustedsec/cve-2019-19781 (573 stars)
- GitHub PoC: projectzeroindia/CVE-2019-19781 (369 stars)
- Exploit-DB: Citrix Application Delivery Controller (ADC) and Gateway 13.0 - Path Traversal
- Exploit-DB: Citrix Application Delivery Controller and Citrix Gateway - Remote Code Execution (PoC)
- Exploit-DB: Citrix Application Delivery Controller and Gateway 10.5 - Remote Code Execution (Metasploit)
- Metasploit: Citrix ADC (NetScaler) Directory Traversal Scanner
- Metasploit: Citrix ADC (NetScaler) Directory Traversal RCE
- Nuclei scan template: Citrix ADC and Gateway - Directory Traversal
Advisories and coverage
Research and news
- Vulners Bulletins: CitrixNetscalerAnalysis 2026-10-31
Scores and fixes here are computed automatically from those and other public sources. Confirm with the vendor advisory before changing production systems.
Quick answers
How do I fix CVE-2019-19781?
application delivery controller firmware: mitigate or apply the listed mitigation; netscaler gateway firmware: mitigate or apply the listed mitigation; gateway firmware: mitigate or apply the listed mitigation. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.
Is CVE-2019-19781 being exploited?
Yes. CVE-2019-19781 is on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list, so treat it as patch-now.
What does CVE-2019-19781 affect?
CVE-2019-19781 affects application delivery controller firmware, netscaler gateway firmware, gateway firmware. Severity is critical (CVSS 9.8). An issue was discovered in Citrix Application Delivery Controller (ADC) and Gateway 10.5, 11.1, 12.0, 12.1, and 13.0. They allow Directory Traversal.
How urgent is CVE-2019-19781?
Priority 100/100. Critical severity; EPSS top 1%: very likely to be exploited; Exploited in the wild (CISA KEV); Used in ransomware campaigns; Public exploit reference; CISA SSVC: automatable with total technical impact; Remotely exploitable, no login, no user action
Software pages
Related CVEs
- CVE-2022-27518 CRITICAL 9.8 EXPLOITED UPGRADE UPGRADE Citrix Application Delivery Controller (ADC) and Gateway Authentication Bypass Vulnerability
- CVE-2022-27516 MEDIUM 5.3 UPGRADE UPGRADE User login brute force protection functionality bypass
- CVE-2022-27513 HIGH 8.3 UPGRADE UPGRADE Remote desktop takeover via phishing
- CVE-2022-27510 CRITICAL 9.8 UPGRADE UPGRADE Unauthorized access to Gateway user capabilities
- CVE-2022-27509 MEDIUM 6.1 UPGRADE UPGRADE Unauthenticated redirection to a malicious website