Utempter allows device names that contain .. (dot dot) directory traversal sequences, which allows local users to overwrite arbitrary…

Description

Utempter allows device names that contain .. (dot dot) directory traversal sequences, which allows local users to overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on device names in combination with an application that trusts the utmp or wtmp files.

Scores

EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)

1.1% · top 34% of all CVEs (2 Nov 2026)

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The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: Low 2.1.

Weakness

• n/a

Affected products

• n/a

  • affected n/a

References (10)

• MDKSA-2004:031 (opens in a new tab)vendor-advisoryx_refsource_MANDRAKEx_transferred
• 1000752 (opens in a new tab)vendor-advisoryx_refsource_SUNALERTx_transferred
• utemper-symlink(15904) (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_XFx_transferred
• RHSA-2004:174 (opens in a new tab)vendor-advisoryx_refsource_REDHATx_transferred
• SSA:2004-110 (opens in a new tab)vendor-advisoryx_refsource_SLACKWAREx_transferred
• GLSA-200405-05 (opens in a new tab)vendor-advisoryx_refsource_GENTOOx_transferred
• oval:org.mitre.oval:def:10115 (opens in a new tab)vdb-entrysignaturex_refsource_OVALx_transferred
• 10178 (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_BIDx_transferred
• oval:org.mitre.oval:def:979 (opens in a new tab)vdb-entrysignaturex_refsource_OVALx_transferred
• RHSA-2004:175 (opens in a new tab)vendor-advisoryx_refsource_REDHATx_transferred

Sources

The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.

• CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
• CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
• NVD (opens in a new tab)
• FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
• OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
• GitHub Advisories (opens in a new tab)
• CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)

Record last updated 8 Aug 2024, 00:10 UTC.