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Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2014-3956

critical Nessus Plugin ID 218073

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Synopsis

The Linux/Unix host has one or more packages installed with a vulnerability that the vendor indicates will not be patched.

Description

The Linux/Unix host has one or more packages installed that are impacted by a vulnerability without a vendor supplied patch available.

 - The sm_close_on_exec function in conf.c in sendmail before 8.14.9 has arguments in the wrong order, and consequently skips setting expected FD_CLOEXEC flags, which allows local users to access unintended high- numbered file descriptors via a custom mail-delivery program. (CVE-2014-3956)

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

Solution

There is no known solution at this time.

See Also

https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/cve-2014-3956

Plugin Details

Severity: Critical

ID: 218073

File Name: unpatched_CVE_2014_3956.nasl

Version: 1.3

Type: local

Agent: unix

Family: Misc.

Published: 3/4/2025

Updated: 9/4/2025

Supported Sensors: Frictionless Assessment AWS, Frictionless Assessment Azure, Frictionless Assessment Agent, Nessus Agent, Agentless Assessment, Nessus

Risk Information

VPR

Risk Factor: Medium

Score: 5.2

CVSS v2

Risk Factor: Low

Base Score: 1.9

Temporal Score: 1.4

Vector: CVSS2#AV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N

CVSS Score Source: CVE-2014-3956

CVSS v3

Risk Factor: Critical

Base Score: 9.1

Temporal Score: 7.9

Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H

Temporal Vector: CVSS:3.0/E:U/RL:O/RC:C

Vulnerability Information

CPE: cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:6, p-cpe:/a:centos:centos:sendmail-cf, p-cpe:/a:centos:centos:sendmail-devel, p-cpe:/a:centos:centos:sendmail-doc, p-cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:sendmail-cf, p-cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:sendmail-devel, p-cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:sendmail-doc, p-cpe:/a:centos:centos:sendmail-milter, p-cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:sendmail-milter, p-cpe:/a:centos:centos:sendmail-sysvinit, p-cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:sendmail-sysvinit, cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:4, cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:5, cpe:/o:centos:centos:7, cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:7, p-cpe:/a:centos:centos:sendmail, p-cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:sendmail

Required KB Items: Host/local_checks_enabled, Host/cpu, global_settings/vendor_unpatched, Host/OS/identifier

Exploit Ease: No known exploits are available

Vulnerability Publication Date: 5/21/2014

Reference Information

CVE: CVE-2014-3956