Detections
Analytics

TencentOS Server 4: shadow-utils (TSSA-2025:0065)

medium Nessus Plugin ID 239112

Synopsis

The remote TencentOS Server 4 host is missing one or more security updates.

Description

The version of Tencent Linux installed on the remote TencentOS Server 4 host is prior to tested version. It is, therefore, affected by multiple vulnerabilities as referenced in the TSSA-2025:0065 advisory.

 Package updates are available for TencentOS Server 4 that fix the following vulnerabilities:

 CVE-2023-29383:
 In Shadow 4.13, it is possible to inject control characters into fields provided to the SUID program chfn (change finger). Although it is not possible to exploit this directly (e.g., adding a new user fails because /n is in the block list), it is possible to misrepresent the /etc/passwd file when viewed. Use of /r manipulations and Unicode characters to work around blocking of the : character make it possible to give the impression that a new user has been added. In other words, an adversary may be able to convince a system administrator to take the system offline (an indirect, social-engineered denial of service) by demonstrating that cat /etc/passwd shows a rogue user account.

 CVE-2023-4641:
 A flaw was found in shadow-utils. When asking for a new password, shadow-utils asks the password twice. If the password fails on the second attempt, shadow-utils fails in cleaning the buffer used to store the first entry. This may allow an attacker with enough access to retrieve the password from the memory.

Tenable has extracted the preceding description block directly from the Tencent 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.

Solution

Update the affected packages.

See Also

https://mirrors.tencent.com/tlinux/errata/tssa-20250065.xml

Plugin Details

Severity: Medium

ID: 239112

File Name: tencentos_TSSA_2025_0065.nasl

Version: 1.2

Type: local

Published: 6/16/2025

Updated: 11/20/2025

Supported Sensors: Nessus

Risk Information

VPR

Risk Factor: Medium

Score: 4.4

CVSS v2

Risk Factor: Medium

Base Score: 4.6

Temporal Score: 3.6

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

CVSS Score Source: CVE-2023-4641

CVSS v3

Risk Factor: Medium

Base Score: 5.5

Temporal Score: 5

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

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

Vulnerability Information

CPE: p-cpe:/a:tencent:tencentos_server:shadow-utils, cpe:/o:tencent:tencentos_server:4

Required KB Items: Host/local_checks_enabled, Host/etc/os-release, Host/TencentOS/rpm-list, Host/cpu

Exploit Available: true

Exploit Ease: Exploits are available

Patch Publication Date: 1/22/2025

Vulnerability Publication Date: 1/22/2025

Reference Information

CVE: CVE-2023-29383, CVE-2023-4641