useradd in shadow-utils before 4.0.3, and possibly other versions before 4.0.8, does not provide a required argument to the open function wh
useradd in shadow-utils before 4.0.3, and possibly other versions before 4.0.8, does not provide a required argument to the open function when creating a new user mailbox, which causes the mailbox to be created with unpredictable permissions and possibly allows attackers to read or modify the mailbox.
- Published
- May 28, 2006
- Updated
- Jun 16, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.4% · 36th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-264
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Report tools
Action score
14
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 14 / 40 · 3.7 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 0.4%
Noroxi analysis
No Noroxi analysis for this record yet
We don't hand-write analysis for the hundreds of thousands of vulnerabilities in the database; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.
We use this product, ask for helpAffected systems
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| debian | shadow | cpe:2.3:a:debian:shadow |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- debian shadowup to 4.0.7 inclusive
- debian shadow4.0.0
- debian shadow4.0.1
- debian shadow4.0.2
- debian shadow4.0.4
- debian shadow4.0.4.1
- debian shadow4.0.5
- debian shadow4.0.6
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian:12 | shadow | before 1:4.0.15-10 | 1:4.0.15-10 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:3::as | shadow-utils | before 2:4.0.3-29.RHEL3 | 2:4.0.3-29.RHEL3 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:3::as | shadow-utils-debuginfo | before 2:4.0.3-29.RHEL3 | 2:4.0.3-29.RHEL3 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | shadow-utils | before 2:4.0.3-61.RHEL4 | 2:4.0.3-61.RHEL4 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | shadow-utils-debuginfo | before 2:4.0.3-61.RHEL4 | 2:4.0.3-61.RHEL4 |
Same product
debian: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2017-20002The Debian shadow package before 1:4.5-1 for Shadow incorrectly lists pts/0 and pts/1 as physical terminals in /etc/securetty.31Monitor
- CVE-2005-4890There is a possible tty hijacking in shadow 4.x before 4.1.5 and sudo 1.x before 1.7.4 via "su - user -c program".31Monitor
- CVE-2008-5394/bin/login in shadow 4.0.18.1 in Debian GNU/Linux, and probably other Linux distributions, allows local users in the utmp group to overwrite28Monitor
- CVE-2011-0721Multiple CRLF injection vulnerabilities in (1) chfn and (2) chsh in shadow 1:4.1.4 allow local users to add new users or groups to /etc/pass26Monitor
- CVE-2013-4235shadow: TOCTOU (time-of-check time-of-use) race condition when copying and removing directory trees18Monitor
- CVE-2004-1001Unknown vulnerability in the passwd_check function in Shadow 4.0.4.1, and possibly other versions before 4.0.5, allows local users to conduc18Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| debian:shadow | 1:4.0.15-10 · Debian:12 | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:shadow-utils | 2:4.0.3-61.RHEL4 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:shadow-utils-debuginfo | 2:4.0.3-61.RHEL4 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | Package registry (OSV) |
Exploit status
No known public exploit
No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
No dated events beyond publication.
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
No commit or PR link among the references.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
No credits in the CNA record.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
No nightly-computed relations.
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
No known public program.
Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Special conditions such as timing or configuration are required.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- P · data can be read
- Integrity
- P · data or configuration can be modified
- Availability
- P · the service can be disrupted
- Attack complexity
- High
- Confidentiality impact
- P
- Integrity impact
- P
- Availability impact
- P
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-264 · Permissions, Privileges, and Access ControlsCVSS vector
AV:L/AC:H/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
nvd-primary
Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
MITRE has no CAPEC/ATT&CK mapping for this CWE.
Change log
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
- ftp://patches.sgi.com/support/free/security/advisories/20070602-01-P.asc
- cvs.pld.org.pl/shadow/NEWS?rev=1.109
- lists.grok.org.uk/pipermail/full-disclosure/2007-September/065902.html
- secunia.com/advisories/20370
- secunia.com/advisories/20506
- secunia.com/advisories/25098
- secunia.com/advisories/25267
- secunia.com/advisories/25629
- secunia.com/advisories/25894
- secunia.com/advisories/25896
- secunia.com/advisories/26909
- secunia.com/advisories/27706
- support.avaya.com/elmodocs2/security/ASA-2007-249.htm
- www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200606-02.xml
- www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/312692
- www.mandriva.com/security/advisories?name=MDKSA-2006:090
- www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHSA-2007-0276.html
- www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHSA-2007-0431.html
- www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/468336/100/0/threaded
- www.securityfocus.com/bid/18111
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.