CVE-2025-6018: PAM pam-config Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability
A serious local privilege escalation vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2025-6018, has been identified in the pam-config component of Linux Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM). This flaw could allow a local, unprivileged attacker to gain elevated privileges, potentially leading to full system compromise.
Vulnerability Details
- CVE ID: CVE-2025-6018
- Description: The vulnerability exists in
pam-config, allowing an unprivileged local attacker to obtain elevated privileges normally reserved for a physically present, "allow_active" user. This bypasses intended access controls. - CVSS Score: 7.8 HIGH
- CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- CVSS Explanation: A local attacker with low privileges can, without user interaction, achieve high impact to confidentiality, integrity, and availability. This means they could read sensitive data, modify system files, and cause a denial of service.
- Exploit Requirements: The attacker needs local access to the system, such as a user account obtained via SSH.
- Affected Vendor: Red Hat (and potentially other Linux distributions using PAM)
- Affected Product: pam-config (Linux Pluggable Authentication Modules)
- Affected Version: Potentially all versions prior to a patched release (specific versions to be confirmed by vendor advisories).
- CWE: CWE-863 - Incorrect Authorization
- CWE Explanation: The system is not properly verifying whether the user has the necessary permissions to perform an action, leading to unauthorized privilege escalation.
Timeline of Events
- 2025-06-17: Vulnerability reported to SUSE.
- 2025-07-23: CVE ID CVE-2025-6018 assigned.
- 2025-07-23: Public disclosure and initial analysis.
Exploitability & Real-World Risk
This vulnerability poses a significant risk, especially in multi-user environments. An attacker who has gained initial access through a compromised account or other means could leverage this flaw to escalate their privileges to root, gaining full control of the system. The ease of exploitation and the potential for widespread impact make this a high-priority vulnerability.
Recommendations
- Apply Patches: As soon as patches are available from your Linux distribution vendor (e.g., Red Hat, SUSE), apply them immediately.
- Monitor Systems: Keep a close eye on system logs for any suspicious activity that might indicate an attempted exploit.
- Principle of Least Privilege: Review user accounts and ensure that users only have the minimum necessary privileges.
- Restrict SSH Access: Consider restricting SSH access to trusted networks or using multi-factor authentication.
Technical Insight
The exact nature of the flaw in pam-config requires further investigation. However, it likely involves a misconfiguration or programming error that allows an attacker to bypass the normal authorization checks performed by PAM when determining whether a user is authorized to perform privileged actions, especially those actions reserved for the console user.
Credit to Researcher(s)
The vulnerability was reported by researchers at Qualys (as implied by the Qualys CDN link). Full credit should be given to the researchers involved upon full disclosure.
References
- Red Hat CVE Page
- Red Hat Bugzilla
- SUSE Bugzilla
- Qualys Advisory (SUSE 15)
- Alternative Qualys Advisory (SUSE 15 - Duplicate Link in Original Data)
Tags
#CVE-2025-6018 #PAM #LPE #Linux #RedHat #SecurityVulnerability #PrivilegeEscalation
Summary: CVE-2025-6018 is a Local Privilege Escalation (LPE) vulnerability in the pam-config component of Linux PAM. This flaw allows an unprivileged local attacker to gain elevated privileges, potentially leading to full system compromise. Immediate patching is recommended.
CVE ID: CVE-2025-6018
Risk Analysis: Successful exploitation allows a local attacker to gain full control of the system, potentially leading to data breaches, system compromise, and denial of service.
Recommendation: Apply patches as soon as they are available from your Linux distribution vendor. Monitor systems for suspicious activity. Implement the principle of least privilege.
Timeline
- 2025-06-17: Vulnerability reported to SUSE.
- 2025-07-23: CVE ID CVE-2025-6018 assigned.
- 2025-07-23: Public disclosure and initial analysis.