A flaw was found in linux-pam. The pam_namespace module may improperly handle user-controlled paths, allowing local users to exploit symlink attacks and race conditions to elevate their privileges to root. This CVE provides a "complete" fix for CVE-2025-6020.

The remote AlmaLinux 8 host has packages installed that are affected by multiple vulnerabilities as referenced in the ALSA-2025:14557 advisory.

    * linux-pam: Linux-pam directory Traversal (CVE-2025-6020)

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

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

The remote Oracle Linux 9 host has packages installed that are affected by multiple vulnerabilities as referenced in the ELSA-2025-15099 advisory.

    [1.5.1-26.0.1]
    - pam_limits: fix use after free in pam_sm_open_session [Orabug: 36406534]

    [1.5.1-26]
    - pam_namespace: fix potential privilege escalation.
      Resolves: CVE-2025-6020 and RHEL-96729

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

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

The remote AlmaLinux 9 host has packages installed that are affected by multiple vulnerabilities as referenced in the ALSA-2025:15099 advisory.

    * linux-pam: Linux-pam directory Traversal (CVE-2025-6020)
      * linux-pam: Incomplete fix for CVE-2025-6020 (CVE-2025-8941)

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

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

The remote Redhat Enterprise Linux 9 host has packages installed that are affected by a vulnerability as referenced in the RHSA-2025:15102 advisory.

    Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM) provide a system to set up authentication policies without the need     to recompile programs to handle authentication.

    Security Fix(es):

    * linux-pam: Incomplete fix for CVE-2025-6020 (CVE-2025-8941)

    For more details about the security issue(s), including the impact, a CVSS score, acknowledgments, and     other related information, refer to the CVE page(s) listed in the References section.

Tenable has extracted the preceding description block directly from the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 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 Redhat Enterprise Linux 8 host has packages installed that are affected by a vulnerability as referenced in the RHSA-2025:15107 advisory.

    Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM) provide a system to set up authentication policies without the need     to recompile programs to handle authentication.

    Security Fix(es):

    * linux-pam: Incomplete fix for CVE-2025-6020 (CVE-2025-8941)

    For more details about the security issue(s), including the impact, a CVSS score, acknowledgments, and     other related information, refer to the CVE page(s) listed in the References section.

Tenable has extracted the preceding description block directly from the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 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 Redhat Enterprise Linux 9 host has packages installed that are affected by a vulnerability as referenced in the RHSA-2025:15101 advisory.

    Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM) provide a system to set up authentication policies without the need     to recompile programs to handle authentication.

    Security Fix(es):

    * linux-pam: Incomplete fix for CVE-2025-6020 (CVE-2025-8941)

    For more details about the security issue(s), including the impact, a CVSS score, acknowledgments, and     other related information, refer to the CVE page(s) listed in the References section.

Tenable has extracted the preceding description block directly from the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 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 Redhat Enterprise Linux 7 host has packages installed that are affected by a vulnerability as referenced in the RHSA-2025:15106 advisory.

    Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM) provide a system to set up authentication policies without the need     to recompile programs to handle authentication.

    Security Fix(es):

    * linux-pam: Incomplete fix for CVE-2025-6020 (CVE-2025-8941)

    For more details about the security issue(s), including the impact, a CVSS score, acknowledgments, and     other related information, refer to the CVE page(s) listed in the References section.

Tenable has extracted the preceding description block directly from the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 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 Redhat Enterprise Linux 8 host has packages installed that are affected by a vulnerability as referenced in the RHSA-2025:15105 advisory.

    Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM) provide a system to set up authentication policies without the need     to recompile programs to handle authentication.

    Security Fix(es):

    * linux-pam: Incomplete fix for CVE-2025-6020 (CVE-2025-8941)

    For more details about the security issue(s), including the impact, a CVSS score, acknowledgments, and     other related information, refer to the CVE page(s) listed in the References section.

Tenable has extracted the preceding description block directly from the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 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 Redhat Enterprise Linux 9 host has packages installed that are affected by multiple vulnerabilities as referenced in the RHSA-2025:15099 advisory.

    Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM) provide a system to set up authentication policies without the need     to recompile programs to handle authentication.

    Security Fix(es):

    * linux-pam: Linux-pam directory Traversal (CVE-2025-6020)

    * linux-pam: Incomplete fix for CVE-2025-6020 (CVE-2025-8941)

    For more details about the security issue(s), including the impact, a CVSS score, acknowledgments, and     other related information, refer to the CVE page(s) listed in the References section.

Tenable has extracted the preceding description block directly from the Red Hat Enterprise Linux security advisory.

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

The remote Redhat Enterprise Linux 8 host has packages installed that are affected by a vulnerability as referenced in the RHSA-2025:15104 advisory.

    Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM) provide a system to set up authentication policies without the need     to recompile programs to handle authentication.

    Security Fix(es):

    * linux-pam: Incomplete fix for CVE-2025-6020 (CVE-2025-8941)

    For more details about the security issue(s), including the impact, a CVSS score, acknowledgments, and     other related information, refer to the CVE page(s) listed in the References section.

Tenable has extracted the preceding description block directly from the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 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 Redhat Enterprise Linux 9 host has packages installed that are affected by a vulnerability as referenced in the RHSA-2025:15100 advisory.

    Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM) provide a system to set up authentication policies without the need     to recompile programs to handle authentication.

    Security Fix(es):

    * linux-pam: Incomplete fix for CVE-2025-6020 (CVE-2025-8941)

    For more details about the security issue(s), including the impact, a CVSS score, acknowledgments, and     other related information, refer to the CVE page(s) listed in the References section.

Tenable has extracted the preceding description block directly from the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 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 Redhat Enterprise Linux 8 host has packages installed that are affected by a vulnerability as referenced in the RHSA-2025:15103 advisory.

    Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM) provide a system to set up authentication policies without the need     to recompile programs to handle authentication.

    Security Fix(es):

    * linux-pam: Incomplete fix for CVE-2025-6020 (CVE-2025-8941)

    For more details about the security issue(s), including the impact, a CVSS score, acknowledgments, and     other related information, refer to the CVE page(s) listed in the References section.

Tenable has extracted the preceding description block directly from the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 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 Linux/Unix host has one or more packages installed that are impacted by a vulnerability without a vendor supplied patch available.

  - A flaw was found in linux-pam. The pam_namespace module may improperly handle user-controlled paths,     allowing local users to exploit symlink attacks and race conditions to elevate their privileges to root.
    This CVE provides a complete fix for CVE-2025-6020. (CVE-2025-8941)

Note that Nessus relies on the presence of the package as reported by the vendor.

ID	Name	Product	Family	Severity
261225	AlmaLinux 8 : pam (ALSA-2025:14557)	Nessus	Alma Linux Local Security Checks	high
261194	Oracle Linux 9 : pam (ELSA-2025-15099)	Nessus	Oracle Linux Local Security Checks	high
261163	AlmaLinux 9 : pam (ALSA-2025:15099)	Nessus	Alma Linux Local Security Checks	high
261141	RHEL 9 : pam (RHSA-2025:15102)	Nessus	Red Hat Local Security Checks	high
261140	RHEL 8 : pam (RHSA-2025:15107)	Nessus	Red Hat Local Security Checks	high
261139	RHEL 9 : pam (RHSA-2025:15101)	Nessus	Red Hat Local Security Checks	high
261138	RHEL 7 : pam (RHSA-2025:15106)	Nessus	Red Hat Local Security Checks	high
261136	RHEL 8 : pam (RHSA-2025:15105)	Nessus	Red Hat Local Security Checks	high
261135	RHEL 9 : pam (RHSA-2025:15099)	Nessus	Red Hat Local Security Checks	high
261134	RHEL 8 : pam (RHSA-2025:15104)	Nessus	Red Hat Local Security Checks	high
261133	RHEL 9 : pam (RHSA-2025:15100)	Nessus	Red Hat Local Security Checks	high
261132	RHEL 8 : pam (RHSA-2025:15103)	Nessus	Red Hat Local Security Checks	high
260020	Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2025-8941	Nessus	Misc.	high

Detections

Analytics

CVE-2025-8941

high

Tenable Plugins

high

high

high

high

high

high

high

high

high

high

high

high

high