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 aribitrary 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 funtion, which is used by the format_timestamp_name function.

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.

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

  - 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 relies on the presence of the package as reported by the vendor.

The remote Ubuntu 14.04 LTS host has packages installed that are affected by multiple vulnerabilities as referenced in the USN-2935-1 advisory.

    It was discovered that the PAM pam_userdb module incorrectly used a case-insensitive method when comparing     hashed passwords. A local attacker could possibly use this issue to make brute force attacks easier. This     issue only affected Ubuntu 12.04 LTS and Ubuntu 14.04 LTS. (CVE-2013-7041)

    Sebastian Krahmer discovered that the PAM pam_timestamp module incorrectly performed filtering. A local     attacker could use this issue to create arbitrary files, or possibly bypass authentication. This issue     only affected Ubuntu 12.04 LTS and Ubuntu 14.04 LTS. (CVE-2014-2583)

    Sebastien Macke discovered that the PAM pam_unix module incorrectly handled large passwords. A local     attacker could possibly use this issue in certain environments to enumerate usernames or cause a denial of     service. (CVE-2015-3238)

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

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

This update changes the broken default behavior of pam_pwhistory to not enforce checks when the root user requests password changes. In order to enforce pwhistory checks on the root user, the 'enforce_for_root' parameter needs to be set for the pam_pwhistory.so module.

This pam update fixes the following security and non-security issues :

  - Fixed pam_timestamp path injection problem.
    (CVE-2014-2583). (bnc#870433)

  - Fixed pam_pwhistory root password enforcement when     resetting non-root user's password. (bnc#848417)

Update fixing minor security issues and bugs.

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.

USN-2935-1 fixed vulnerabilities in PAM. The updates contained a packaging change that prevented upgrades in certain multiarch environments. USN-2935-2 intended to fix the problem but was incomplete for Ubuntu 12.04 LTS. This update fixes the problem in Ubuntu 12.04 LTS.

We apologize for the inconvenience.

It was discovered that the PAM pam_userdb module incorrectly used a case-insensitive method when comparing hashed passwords. A local attacker could possibly use this issue to make brute-force attacks easier. This issue only affected Ubuntu 12.04 LTS and Ubuntu 14.04 LTS. (CVE-2013-7041)

Sebastian Krahmer discovered that the PAM pam_timestamp module incorrectly performed filtering. A local attacker could use this issue to create arbitrary files, or possibly bypass authentication. This issue only affected Ubuntu 12.04 LTS and Ubuntu 14.04 LTS. (CVE-2014-2583)

Sebastien Macke discovered that the PAM pam_unix module incorrectly handled large passwords. A local attacker could possibly use this issue in certain environments to enumerate usernames or cause a denial of service. (CVE-2015-3238).

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.

The remote host is affected by the vulnerability described in GLSA-201605-05 (Linux-PAM: Multiple vulnerabilities)

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

    Remote attackers could cause Denial of Service, conduct brute-force attacks, and conduct username enumeration.
  Workaround :

    There is no known workaround at this time.

The remote NewStart CGSL host, running version MAIN 6.06, has pam packages installed that are affected by multiple vulnerabilities:

  - 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)

  - 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)

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

ID	Name	Product	Family	Published	Updated	Severity
78297	Amazon Linux AMI : pam (ALAS-2014-354)	Nessus	Amazon Linux Local Security Checks	10/12/2014	4/18/2018	medium
129937	NewStart CGSL CORE 5.04 / MAIN 5.04 : pam Multiple Vulnerabilities (NS-SA-2019-0198)	Nessus	NewStart CGSL Local Security Checks	10/15/2019	4/18/2024	high
218080	Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2014-2583	Nessus	Misc.	3/4/2025	9/3/2025	high
89996	Ubuntu 14.04 LTS : PAM vulnerabilities (USN-2935-1)	Nessus	Ubuntu Local Security Checks	3/17/2016	9/3/2025	medium
73979	SuSE 11.3 Security Update : pam (SAT Patch Number 9119)	Nessus	SuSE Local Security Checks	5/13/2014	1/19/2021	medium
80090	Fedora 20 : pam-1.1.8-2.fc20 (2014-16350)	Nessus	Fedora Local Security Checks	12/18/2014	1/11/2021	medium
90021	Ubuntu 12.04 LTS : pam regression (USN-2935-3)	Nessus	Ubuntu Local Security Checks	3/18/2016	1/12/2023	medium
91378	GLSA-201605-05 : Linux-PAM: Multiple vulnerabilities	Nessus	Gentoo Local Security Checks	5/31/2016	1/11/2021	medium
266242	NewStart CGSL MAIN 6.06 : pam Multiple Vulnerabilities (NS-SA-2025-0213)	Nessus	NewStart CGSL Local Security Checks	9/30/2025	9/30/2025	high

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