IRONSMITHINTEL
HIGHCVSS7.0
|
Actively Exploited
|CISA KEV|CVE-2019-18988|Auth: low — authenticated user|Reboot: required|Manual only

TeamViewer Desktop Bypass Remote Login Vulnerability

TeamViewer Desktop allows for bypass of remote-login access control because the same AES key is used for different customers' installations. If an attacker were to know this key, they could decrypt protected information stored in registry or configuration files or decryption of the Unattended Access password to the system (which allows for remote login to the system).

Published Feb 7, 2020 · Updated May 16, 2026
Why patchRisk explained in plain English
Worst-case scenarioIf unpatched

A local attacker, with a low-privilege account, can achieve full data confidentiality loss, arbitrary modification of data, complete denial of service or system unavailability. Federal agencies are required to remediate by 2022-05-03 under CISA BOD 22-01.

How the attack worksNo clicks needed

This is a Software Vulnerability (CWE-521) (CWE-521) vulnerability in TeamViewer Desktop. Exploitation requires local access, higher attack complexity, a low-privilege authenticated account, and no user interaction required.

Am I affected?Quick check

Probably yes if any of these apply:

IT Security
Running teamviewer: v ≤ 14.7.1965
Real-world incidentsWhat we've seen

Active exploitation documented in the wild. Threat-research write-up: https://whynotsecurity.com/blog/teamviewer/

How to patch

Manual remediation steps

Apply the Vendor Patch

This vulnerability is in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog — apply the vendor's security update as soon as possible.

CISA required action: Apply updates per vendor instructions.

References

    1
    Vendor advisory: https://community.teamviewer.com/t5/Announcements/Specification-on-CVE-2019-18988/td-p/82264
    1
    NVD entry: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-18988
    1
    CISA KEV: https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2019-18988
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