RHSA-2003:028

Vulnerability from csaf_redhat - Published: 2003-03-05 16:07 - Updated: 2025-11-21 17:25
Summary
Red Hat Security Advisory: pam security update

Notes

Topic
Updated PAM packages are now available. These packages correct a bug in pam_xauth's handling of authorization data for the root user. [Updated 12 March 2003] Added packages for Red Hat Enterprise Linux ES and Red Hat Enterprise Linux WS
Details
The pam_xauth module is used to forward xauth information from user to user in applications such as the su command. Andreas Beck discovered that pam_xauth will forward authorization information from the root account to unprivileged users. This could be used by a local attacker to gain access to an administrator's X session. To exploit this vulnerability the attacker would have to get the administrator, as root, to use su to access the account belonging to the attacker. Users of pam_xauth are advised to upgrade to these errata packages which contain a patch which adds ACL (access control list) functionality to pam_xauth and disallows root forwarding by default. Thanks to Andreas Beck for reporting this issue.
Terms of Use
This content is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). If you distribute this content, or a modified version of it, you must provide attribution to Red Hat Inc. and provide a link to the original.
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      "text": "Important"
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    "category": "csaf_security_advisory",
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    "distribution": {
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      "tlp": {
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    "notes": [
      {
        "category": "summary",
        "text": "Updated PAM packages are now available.  These packages correct a bug in\npam_xauth\u0027s handling of authorization data for the root user.\n\n[Updated 12 March 2003]\nAdded packages for Red Hat Enterprise Linux ES and Red Hat Enterprise\nLinux WS",
        "title": "Topic"
      },
      {
        "category": "general",
        "text": "The pam_xauth module is used to forward xauth information from user to user\nin applications such as the su command.\n\nAndreas Beck discovered that pam_xauth will forward authorization\ninformation from the root account to unprivileged users.  This could be\nused by a local attacker to gain access to an administrator\u0027s X session. \nTo exploit this vulnerability the attacker would have to get the\nadministrator, as root, to use su to access the account belonging to the\nattacker. \n\nUsers of pam_xauth are advised to upgrade to these errata packages which\ncontain a patch which adds ACL (access control list) functionality to\npam_xauth and disallows root forwarding by default. \n\nThanks to Andreas Beck for reporting this issue.",
        "title": "Details"
      },
      {
        "category": "legal_disclaimer",
        "text": "This content is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). If you distribute this content, or a modified version of it, you must provide attribution to Red Hat Inc. and provide a link to the original.",
        "title": "Terms of Use"
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          "category": "description",
          "text": "The default configuration of the pam_xauth module forwards MIT-Magic-Cookies to new X sessions, which could allow local users to gain root privileges by stealing the cookies from a temporary .xauth file, which is created with the original user\u0027s credentials after root uses su.",
          "title": "Vulnerability description"
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}


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Sightings

Author Source Type Date

Nomenclature

  • Seen: The vulnerability was mentioned, discussed, or observed by the user.
  • Confirmed: The vulnerability has been validated from an analyst's perspective.
  • Published Proof of Concept: A public proof of concept is available for this vulnerability.
  • Exploited: The vulnerability was observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
  • Patched: The vulnerability was observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.
  • Not exploited: The vulnerability was not observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
  • Not confirmed: The user expressed doubt about the validity of the vulnerability.
  • Not patched: The vulnerability was not observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.



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