pam_namespace.c in the pam_namespace module in Linux-PAM (aka pam) before 1.1.3 uses the environment of the invoking application or service during execution of the namespace.init script, which might allow local users to gain privileges by running a setuid program that relies on the pam_namespace PAM check, as demonstrated by the sudo program.

The remote NewStart CGSL host, running version CORE 5.04 / MAIN 5.04, has pam packages installed that are affected by multiple vulnerabilities:

  - pam_unix.so in Linux-PAM 0.99.7.0 allows context-     dependent attackers to log into accounts whose password     hash, as stored in /etc/passwd or /etc/shadow, has only     two characters. (CVE-2007-0003)

  - Linux-PAM before 1.0.4 does not enforce the minimum     password age (MINDAYS) as specified in /etc/shadow,     which allows local users to bypass intended security     policy and change their passwords sooner than specified.
    (CVE-2009-0579)

  - The run_coprocess function in pam_xauth.c in the     pam_xauth module in Linux-PAM (aka pam) before 1.1.2     does not check the return values of the setuid, setgid,     and setgroups system calls, which might allow local     users to read arbitrary files by executing a program     that relies on the pam_xauth PAM check. (CVE-2010-3316)

  - The (1) pam_env and (2) pam_mail modules in Linux-PAM     (aka pam) before 1.1.2 use root privileges during read     access to files and directories that belong to arbitrary     user accounts, which might allow local users to obtain     sensitive information by leveraging this filesystem     activity, as demonstrated by a symlink attack on the     .pam_environment file in a user's home directory.
    (CVE-2010-3435)

  - pam_namespace.c in the pam_namespace module in Linux-PAM     (aka pam) before 1.1.3 uses the environment of the     invoking application or service during execution of the     namespace.init script, which might allow local users to     gain privileges by running a setuid program that relies     on the pam_namespace PAM check, as demonstrated by the     sudo program. (CVE-2010-3853)

  - The pam_userdb module for Pam uses a case-insensitive     method to compare hashed passwords, which makes it     easier for attackers to guess the password via a brute     force attack. (CVE-2013-7041)

  - Multiple directory traversal vulnerabilities in     pam_timestamp.c in the pam_timestamp module for Linux-     PAM (aka pam) 1.1.8 allow local users to create     arbitrary files or possibly bypass authentication via a     .. (dot dot) in the (1) PAM_RUSER value to the get_ruser     function or (2) PAM_TTY value to the check_tty function,     which is used by the format_timestamp_name function.
    (CVE-2014-2583)

Note that Nessus has not tested for this issue but has instead relied only on the application's self-reported version number.

The remote VMware ESX / ESXi host is missing a security-related patch.
It is, therefore, affected by multiple vulnerabilities, including arbitrary code execution vulnerabilities, in several third-party components and libraries :

  - bind
  - pam
  - popt
  - rpm
  - rpm-libs
  - rpm-python
  - Service Location Protocol daemon (SLPD)

From Red Hat Security Advisory 2010:0891 :

Updated pam packages that fix three security issues are now available for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.

The Red Hat Security Response Team has rated this update as having moderate security impact. Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) base scores, which give detailed severity ratings, are available for each vulnerability from the CVE links in the References section.

Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM) provide a system whereby administrators can set up authentication policies without having to recompile programs that handle authentication.

It was discovered that the pam_namespace module executed the external script namespace.init with an unchanged environment inherited from an application calling PAM. In cases where such an environment was untrusted (for example, when pam_namespace was configured for setuid applications such as su or sudo), a local, unprivileged user could possibly use this flaw to escalate their privileges. (CVE-2010-3853)

It was discovered that the pam_env and pam_mail modules used root privileges while accessing user's files. A local, unprivileged user could use this flaw to obtain information, from the lines that have the KEY=VALUE format expected by pam_env, from an arbitrary file.
Also, in certain configurations, a local, unprivileged user using a service for which the pam_mail module was configured for, could use this flaw to obtain limited information about files or directories that they do not have access to. (CVE-2010-3435)

Note: As part of the fix for CVE-2010-3435, this update changes the default value of pam_env's configuration option user_readenv to 0, causing the module to not read user's ~/.pam_environment configuration file by default, as reading it may introduce unexpected changes to the environment of the service using PAM, or PAM modules consulted after pam_env.

It was discovered that the pam_xauth module did not verify the return values of the setuid() and setgid() system calls. A local, unprivileged user could use this flaw to execute the xauth command with root privileges and make it read an arbitrary input file.
(CVE-2010-3316)

Red Hat would like to thank Sebastian Krahmer of the SuSE Security Team for reporting the CVE-2010-3435 issue.

All pam users should upgrade to these updated packages, which contain backported patches to correct these issues.

From Red Hat Security Advisory 2010:0819 :

Updated pam packages that fix three security issues are now available for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.

The Red Hat Security Response Team has rated this update as having moderate security impact. Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) base scores, which give detailed severity ratings, are available for each vulnerability from the CVE links in the References section.

Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM) provide a system whereby administrators can set up authentication policies without having to recompile programs that handle authentication.

It was discovered that the pam_namespace module executed the external script namespace.init with an unchanged environment inherited from an application calling PAM. In cases where such an environment was untrusted (for example, when pam_namespace was configured for setuid applications such as su or sudo), a local, unprivileged user could possibly use this flaw to escalate their privileges. (CVE-2010-3853)

It was discovered that the pam_mail module used root privileges while accessing users' files. In certain configurations, a local, unprivileged user could use this flaw to obtain limited information about files or directories that they do not have access to.
(CVE-2010-3435)

It was discovered that the pam_xauth module did not verify the return values of the setuid() and setgid() system calls. A local, unprivileged user could use this flaw to execute the xauth command with root privileges and make it read an arbitrary input file.
(CVE-2010-3316)

Red Hat would like to thank Sebastian Krahmer of the SuSE Security Team for reporting the CVE-2010-3435 issue.

All pam users should upgrade to these updated packages, which contain backported patches to correct these issues.

It was discovered that the pam_namespace module executed the external script namespace.init with an unchanged environment inherited from an application calling PAM. In cases where such an environment was untrusted (for example, when pam_namespace was configured for setuid applications such as su or sudo), a local, unprivileged user could possibly use this flaw to escalate their privileges. (CVE-2010-3853)

It was discovered that the pam_env and pam_mail modules used root privileges while accessing user's files. A local, unprivileged user could use this flaw to obtain information, from the lines that have the KEY=VALUE format expected by pam_env, from an arbitrary file.
Also, in certain configurations, a local, unprivileged user using a service for which the pam_mail module was configured for, could use this flaw to obtain limited information about files or directories that they do not have access to. (CVE-2010-3435)

Note: As part of the fix for CVE-2010-3435, this update changes the default value of pam_env's configuration option user_readenv to 0, causing the module to not read user's ~/.pam_environment configuration file by default, as reading it may introduce unexpected changes to the environment of the service using PAM, or PAM modules consulted after pam_env.

It was discovered that the pam_xauth module did not verify the return values of the setuid() and setgid() system calls. A local, unprivileged user could use this flaw to execute the xauth command with root privileges and make it read an arbitrary input file.
(CVE-2010-3316)

It was discovered that the pam_namespace module executed the external script namespace.init with an unchanged environment inherited from an application calling PAM. In cases where such an environment was untrusted (for example, when pam_namespace was configured for setuid applications such as su or sudo), a local, unprivileged user could possibly use this flaw to escalate their privileges. (CVE-2010-3853)

It was discovered that the pam_mail module used root privileges while accessing users' files. In certain configurations, a local, unprivileged user could use this flaw to obtain limited information about files or directories that they do not have access to.
(CVE-2010-3435)

It was discovered that the pam_xauth module did not verify the return values of the setuid() and setgid() system calls. A local, unprivileged user could use this flaw to execute the xauth command with root privileges and make it read an arbitrary input file.
(CVE-2010-3316)

The remote host is affected by the vulnerability described in GLSA-201206-31 (Linux-PAM: Multiple vulnerabilities)

    Multiple vulnerabilities have been discovered in Linux-PAM. Please       review the CVE identifiers referenced below for details.
  Impact :

    A local attacker could use specially crafted files to cause a buffer       overflow, possibly resulting in privilege escalation or Denial of       Service. Furthermore, a local attacker could execute specially crafted       programs or symlink attacks, possibly resulting in data loss or       disclosure of sensitive information.
  Workaround :

    There is no known workaround at this time.

USN-1140-1 fixed vulnerabilities in PAM. A regression was found that caused cron to stop working with a 'Module is unknown' error. As a result, systems configured with automatic updates will not receive updates until cron is restarted, these updates are installed or the system is rebooted. This update fixes the problem.

We apologize for the inconvenience.

Marcus Granado discovered that PAM incorrectly handled configuration files with non-ASCII usernames. A remote attacker could use this flaw to cause a denial of service, or possibly obtain login access with a different users username. This issue only affected Ubuntu 8.04 LTS.
(CVE-2009-0887)

It was discovered that the PAM pam_xauth, pam_env and pam_mail modules incorrectly handled dropping privileges when performing operations. A local attacker could use this flaw to read certain arbitrary files, and access other sensitive information. (CVE-2010-3316, CVE-2010-3430, CVE-2010-3431, CVE-2010-3435)

It was discovered that the PAM pam_namespace module incorrectly cleaned the environment during execution of the namespace.init script. A local attacker could use this flaw to possibly gain privileges. (CVE-2010-3853)

It was discovered that the PAM pam_xauth module incorrectly handled certain failures. A local attacker could use this flaw to delete certain unintended files. (CVE-2010-4706)

It was discovered that the PAM pam_xauth module incorrectly verified certain file properties. A local attacker could use this flaw to cause a denial of service. (CVE-2010-4707).

Note that Tenable Network Security has extracted the preceding description block directly from the Ubuntu security advisory. Tenable has attempted to automatically clean and format it as much as possible without introducing additional issues.

Marcus Granado discovered that PAM incorrectly handled configuration files with non-ASCII usernames. A remote attacker could use this flaw to cause a denial of service, or possibly obtain login access with a different users username. This issue only affected Ubuntu 8.04 LTS.
(CVE-2009-0887)

It was discovered that the PAM pam_xauth, pam_env and pam_mail modules incorrectly handled dropping privileges when performing operations. A local attacker could use this flaw to read certain arbitrary files, and access other sensitive information. (CVE-2010-3316, CVE-2010-3430, CVE-2010-3431, CVE-2010-3435)

It was discovered that the PAM pam_namespace module incorrectly cleaned the environment during execution of the namespace.init script.
A local attacker could use this flaw to possibly gain privileges.
(CVE-2010-3853)

It was discovered that the PAM pam_xauth module incorrectly handled certain failures. A local attacker could use this flaw to delete certain unintended files. (CVE-2010-4706)

It was discovered that the PAM pam_xauth module incorrectly verified certain file properties. A local attacker could use this flaw to cause a denial of service. (CVE-2010-4707).

Note that Tenable Network Security has extracted the preceding description block directly from the Ubuntu security advisory. Tenable has attempted to automatically clean and format it as much as possible without introducing additional issues.

a. Service Location Protocol daemon DoS

   This patch fixes a denial-of-service vulnerability in    the Service Location Protocol daemon (SLPD). Exploitation of this    vulnerability could cause SLPD to consume significant CPU    resources.

   VMware would like to thank Nicolas Gregoire and US CERT for    reporting this issue to us.

   The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures Project (cve.mitre.org)    has assigned the name CVE-2010-3609 to this issue.

b. Service Console update for bind

   This patch updates the bind-libs and bind-utils RPMs to version    9.3.6-4.P1.el5_5.3, which resolves multiple security issues.

   The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures project (cve.mitre.org)    has assigned the names CVE-2010-3613, CVE-2010-3614, and    CVE-2010-3762 to these issues.

c. Service Console update for pam

   This patch updates the pam RPM to pam_0.99.6.2-3.27.5437.vmw,    which resolves multiple security issues with PAM modules.

   The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures project (cve.mitre.org)    has assigned the names CVE-2010-3316, CVE-2010-3435, and    CVE-2010-3853 to these issues.

d. Service Console update for rpm, rpm-libs, rpm-python, and popt

   This patch updates rpm, rpm-libs, and rpm-python RPMs to    4.4.2.3-20.el5_5.1, and popt to version 1.10.2.3-20.el5_5.1,    which resolves a security issue.

   The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures project (cve.mitre.org)    has assigned the name CVE-2010-2059 to this issue.

Updated pam packages that fix three security issues are now available for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.

The Red Hat Security Response Team has rated this update as having moderate security impact. Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) base scores, which give detailed severity ratings, are available for each vulnerability from the CVE links in the References section.

Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM) provide a system whereby administrators can set up authentication policies without having to recompile programs that handle authentication.

It was discovered that the pam_namespace module executed the external script namespace.init with an unchanged environment inherited from an application calling PAM. In cases where such an environment was untrusted (for example, when pam_namespace was configured for setuid applications such as su or sudo), a local, unprivileged user could possibly use this flaw to escalate their privileges. (CVE-2010-3853)

It was discovered that the pam_mail module used root privileges while accessing users' files. In certain configurations, a local, unprivileged user could use this flaw to obtain limited information about files or directories that they do not have access to.
(CVE-2010-3435)

It was discovered that the pam_xauth module did not verify the return values of the setuid() and setgid() system calls. A local, unprivileged user could use this flaw to execute the xauth command with root privileges and make it read an arbitrary input file.
(CVE-2010-3316)

Red Hat would like to thank Sebastian Krahmer of the SuSE Security Team for reporting the CVE-2010-3435 issue.

All pam users should upgrade to these updated packages, which contain backported patches to correct these issues.

Updated pam packages that fix three security issues are now available for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.

The Red Hat Security Response Team has rated this update as having moderate security impact. Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) base scores, which give detailed severity ratings, are available for each vulnerability from the CVE links in the References section.

Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM) provide a system whereby administrators can set up authentication policies without having to recompile programs that handle authentication.

It was discovered that the pam_namespace module executed the external script namespace.init with an unchanged environment inherited from an application calling PAM. In cases where such an environment was untrusted (for example, when pam_namespace was configured for setuid applications such as su or sudo), a local, unprivileged user could possibly use this flaw to escalate their privileges. (CVE-2010-3853)

It was discovered that the pam_env and pam_mail modules used root privileges while accessing user's files. A local, unprivileged user could use this flaw to obtain information, from the lines that have the KEY=VALUE format expected by pam_env, from an arbitrary file.
Also, in certain configurations, a local, unprivileged user using a service for which the pam_mail module was configured for, could use this flaw to obtain limited information about files or directories that they do not have access to. (CVE-2010-3435)

Note: As part of the fix for CVE-2010-3435, this update changes the default value of pam_env's configuration option user_readenv to 0, causing the module to not read user's ~/.pam_environment configuration file by default, as reading it may introduce unexpected changes to the environment of the service using PAM, or PAM modules consulted after pam_env.

It was discovered that the pam_xauth module did not verify the return values of the setuid() and setgid() system calls. A local, unprivileged user could use this flaw to execute the xauth command with root privileges and make it read an arbitrary input file.
(CVE-2010-3316)

Red Hat would like to thank Sebastian Krahmer of the SuSE Security Team for reporting the CVE-2010-3435 issue.

All pam users should upgrade to these updated packages, which contain backported patches to correct these issues.

This update fixes moderate vulnerabilities in pam_env, pam_namespace, pam_mail, and pam_xauth modules. Default configurations (or configurations generated by authconfig) are not affected by the pam_mail and pam_namespace vulnerabilities.

Note that Tenable Network Security has extracted the preceding description block directly from the Fedora security advisory. Tenable has attempted to automatically clean and format it as much as possible without introducing additional issues.

Multiple vulnerabilities were discovered and corrected in pam :

The pam_xauth module did not verify the return values of the setuid() and setgid() system calls. A local, unprivileged user could use this flaw to execute the xauth command with root privileges and make it read an arbitrary input file (CVE-2010-3316).

The pam_mail module used root privileges while accessing users' files.
In certain configurations, a local, unprivileged user could use this flaw to obtain limited information about files or directories that they do not have access to (CVE-2010-3435).

The pam_namespace module executed the external script namespace.init with an unchanged environment inherited from an application calling PAM. In cases where such an environment was untrusted (for example, when pam_namespace was configured for setuid applications such as su or sudo), a local, unprivileged user could possibly use this flaw to escalate their privileges (CVE-2010-3853).

Packages for 2009.0 are provided as of the Extended Maintenance Program. Please visit this link to learn more:
http://store.mandriva.com/product_info.php?cPath=149&amp;products_id=4 90

The updated packages have been patched to correct these issues.

ID	Name	Product	Family	Severity
129937	NewStart CGSL CORE 5.04 / MAIN 5.04 : pam Multiple Vulnerabilities (NS-SA-2019-0198)	Nessus	NewStart CGSL Local Security Checks	high
89675	VMware ESX / ESXi Third-Party Libraries Multiple Vulnerabilities (VMSA-2011-0004) (remote check)	Nessus	Misc.	high
68144	Oracle Linux 6 : pam (ELSA-2010-0891)	Nessus	Oracle Linux Local Security Checks	medium
68132	Oracle Linux 5 : pam (ELSA-2010-0819)	Nessus	Oracle Linux Local Security Checks	medium
60901	Scientific Linux Security Update : pam on SL6.x i386/x86_64	Nessus	Scientific Linux Local Security Checks	medium
60882	Scientific Linux Security Update : pam on SL5.x i386/x86_64	Nessus	Scientific Linux Local Security Checks	medium
59704	GLSA-201206-31 : Linux-PAM: Multiple vulnerabilities	Nessus	Gentoo Local Security Checks	high
55103	Ubuntu 8.04 LTS / 10.04 LTS / 10.10 / 11.04 : pam regression (USN-1140-2)	Nessus	Ubuntu Local Security Checks	medium
55102	Ubuntu 8.04 LTS / 10.04 LTS / 10.10 / 11.04 : pam vulnerabilities (USN-1140-1)	Nessus	Ubuntu Local Security Checks	medium
52582	VMSA-2011-0004 : VMware ESX/ESXi SLPD denial of service vulnerability and ESX third-party updates for Service Console packages bind, pam, and rpm.	Nessus	VMware ESX Local Security Checks	high
50804	CentOS 5 : pam (CESA-2010:0819)	Nessus	CentOS Local Security Checks	medium
50644	RHEL 6 : pam (RHSA-2010:0891)	Nessus	Red Hat Local Security Checks	high
50626	Fedora 12 : pam-1.1.1-6.fc12 (2010-17133)	Nessus	Fedora Local Security Checks	medium
50508	Fedora 14 : pam-1.1.1-6.fc14 (2010-17155)	Nessus	Fedora Local Security Checks	medium
50486	Fedora 13 : pam-1.1.1-6.fc13 (2010-17112)	Nessus	Fedora Local Security Checks	medium
50472	Mandriva Linux Security Advisory : pam (MDVSA-2010:220)	Nessus	Mandriva Local Security Checks	medium
50447	RHEL 5 : pam (RHSA-2010:0819)	Nessus	Red Hat Local Security Checks	medium

Detections

Analytics

CVE-2010-3853

high

Tenable Plugins

high

high

medium

medium

medium

medium

high

medium

medium

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medium

high

medium

medium

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medium

medium