pam-python before 1.0.7-1 has an issue in regard to the default environment variable handling of Python, which could allow for local root escalation in certain PAM setups.

The remote Ubuntu 16.04 LTS / 18.04 LTS host has a package installed that is affected by a vulnerability as referenced in the USN-4552-3 advisory.

    USN-4552-1 and USN-4552-2 fixed a vulnerability in Pam-python. The update introduced a regression which     prevented PAM modules written in Python from importing python modules from site-specific directories.

    We apologize for the inconvenience.



Tenable has extracted the preceding description block directly from the Ubuntu security advisory.

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

The remote Ubuntu 16.04 LTS host has a package installed that is affected by a vulnerability as referenced in the USN-4552-2 advisory.

    Malte Kraus discovered that Pam-python mishandled certain environment variables. A local attacker could     potentially use this vulnerability to execute programs as root.

Tenable has extracted the preceding description block directly from the Ubuntu security advisory.

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

The remote Ubuntu 18.04 LTS host has a package installed that is affected by a vulnerability as referenced in the USN-4552-1 advisory.

    Malte Kraus discovered that Pam-python mishandled certain environment variables. A local attacker could     potentially use this vulnerability to execute programs as root.

Tenable has extracted the preceding description block directly from the Ubuntu security advisory.

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

It was discovered that pam-python, a PAM Module that runs the Python interpreter, has an issue in regard to the default environment variable handling of Python. This issue could allow for local root escalation in certain PAM setups.

For Debian 8 'Jessie', this problem has been fixed in version 1.0.4-1.1+deb8u1.

We recommend that you upgrade your pam-python packages.

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

Malte Kraus discovered that libpam-python, a PAM module allowing PAM modules to be written in Python, didn't sanitise environment variables which could result in local privilege escalation if used with a setuid binary.

ID	Name	Product	Family	Severity
142027	Ubuntu 16.04 LTS / 18.04 LTS : Pam-python regression (USN-4552-3)	Nessus	Ubuntu Local Security Checks	high
141825	Ubuntu 16.04 LTS : Pam-python vulnerability (USN-4552-2)	Nessus	Ubuntu Local Security Checks	high
140921	Ubuntu 18.04 LTS : Pam-python vulnerability (USN-4552-1)	Nessus	Ubuntu Local Security Checks	high
131245	Debian DLA-2000-1 : pam-python security update	Nessus	Debian Local Security Checks	high
130369	Debian DSA-4555-1 : pam-python - security update	Nessus	Debian Local Security Checks	high

Detections

Analytics

CVE-2019-16729

high

Tenable Plugins

high

high

high

high

high