How severe is CVE-2019-15599?

No CVSS score has been assigned to CVE-2019-15599 yet. Review the advisory details and affected package list to assess your exposure.

Which packages are affected by CVE-2019-15599?

CVE-2019-15599 affects the following packages: tree-kill (npm). Ecosystems affected: npm.

How do I fix CVE-2019-15599?

Update tree-kill to 1.2.2 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2019-15599 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.

How do I detect CVE-2019-15599 in my npm dependencies?

Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for tree-kill. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.

How do I mitigate CVE-2019-15599 if there is no patch (or I can't update yet)?

If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.

How does O3 Security protect against CVE-2019-15599?

O3 pinpoints whether CVE-2019-15599 is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.

Is CVE-2019-15599 actively exploited in the wild?

Yes. There are 1 known exploit references for CVE-2019-15599, including 1 in-the-wild exploitation observed on GitHub and other sources. Treat this as actively exploitable and prioritize patching immediately. All exploit code should only be run in an isolated sandbox environment for research or authorized testing — never against production systems without explicit written authorization.

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2019-15599?

CVE-2019-15599 is classified as Code Injection (CWE-94). This weakness type describe the underlying flaw category, which helps determine the potential impact and the right class of mitigation. This is a high-impact weakness class that often enables remote code execution or data exposure.

When was CVE-2019-15599 published, and has it been updated?

CVE-2019-15599 was published on September 4, 2020 and was last updated on November 8, 2023. Advisory data evolves as severity scores, affected ranges, and exploit intelligence are revised — always check the latest version of the advisory before acting.

📦 npm

Not in CISA KEV

CVE-2019-15599

Fix: pkrumins/node-tree-kill@deee138

CVE-2019-15599 is a Code Injection vulnerability in tree-kill. 1 public exploit reference exists, so weaponization risk is real. O3 Security confirms whether CVE-2019-15599 is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.

Command Injection in tree-kill

Published

Sep 4, 2020

Updated

Nov 8, 2023

Affected

1 pkg

Patched

1 / 1

Exploits

1 known

Exploitation data as of Nov 8, 2023 · OSV.dev, NVD, FIRST.org (EPSS)

Real-World Exposure

1 pkg affected

How broadly this vulnerability is actually deployed: weekly install volume shows current usage, and reverse-dependency count shows how many other packages break if it stays unpatched.

2Kother npm packages depend on this — each one inherits the vulnerability until it's patched upstream

tree-killnpm

48.2Mdownloads / week

Description

Versions of tree-kill prior to 1.2.2 are vulnerable to Command Injection. The package fails to sanitize values passed to the kill function. If this value is user-controlled it may allow attackers to run arbitrary commands in the server. The issue only affects Windows systems.

Recommendation

Upgrade to version 1.2.2 or later.

Affected Packages

1 total 1 fixed

Ecosystem	Package	Vulnerable range	Fix
📦npm	`tree-kill`	all versions	1.2.2

Exploits & PoCs

Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.

A Code Injection exists in tree-kill on Windows which allows a remote co…

hackerone.comNVDDec 2019

Detection & mitigation playbook

Open-source dependency

Detect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for tree-kill. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update tree-kill to 1.2.2 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2019-15599 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 pinpoints whether CVE-2019-15599 is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.

Tailored to CVE-2019-15599. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Versions of `tree-kill` prior to 1.2.2 are vulnerable to Command Injection. The package fails to sanitize values passed to the `kill` function. If this value is user-controlled it may allow attackers to run arbitrary commands in the server. The issue only affects Windows systems. ## Recommendation Upgrade to version 1.2.2 or later.

O3 Security · Impact-Aware SCA

Is CVE-2019-15599 in your dependencies?

O3 detects CVE-2019-15599 across npm dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.

Scan my dependencies How O3 SCA works