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Fencer Vulns
high 7.8

CVE-2025-6018 json

Pam-config: lpe from unprivileged to allow_active in pam

published 2025-07-23 15 mo ago modified 2026-11-04 4 d ago also EUVD-2025-22455

cvss
7.8
version 3.1, CNA
cisa kev
Not listed
not in CISA's catalog
epss
1.1%
EPSS 1.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days, percentile 65%
public exploits
1
Exploit-DB

Summary

A Local Privilege Escalation (LPE) vulnerability has been discovered in pam-config within Linux Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM). This flaw allows an unprivileged local attacker (for example, a user logged in via SSH) to obtain the elevated privileges normally reserved for a physically present, "allow_active" user. The highest risk is that the attacker can then perform all allow_active yes Polkit actions, which are typically restricted to console users, potentially gaining unauthorized control over system configurations, services, or other sensitive operations.

Patch / fix

  • pam-config Linux Micro 6.0 2.11-2.1
  • pam-config Linux Micro 6.1 2.11+git.20240906-slfo.1.1_2.1
  • pam_pkcs11 Linux Micro 6.0 0.6.12-5.1
  • pam_pkcs11 Linux Micro 6.1 0.6.12-slfo.1.1_4.1
  • pam-config SLES for SAP 15 SP5, SLES for SAP 15 SP4, SLES for SAP 15 SP3 +16 more 1.1-150200.3.14.1
  • pam-config SLE Module for Basesystem 15 SP7, SLE Module for Basesystem 15 SP6, openSUSE Leap 15.6 1.1-150600.16.8.1
  • pam_pkcs11 SLES for SAP 15 SP5, SLES for SAP 15 SP4, SLES for SAP 15 SP3 +16 more 0.6.10-150100.3.11.1
  • pam_pkcs11 SLE Module for Basesystem 15 SP7, SLE Module for Basesystem 15 SP6, openSUSE Leap 15.6 0.6.10-150600.16.8.1

suse advisories SUSE-SU-2025:20513-1SUSE-SU-2025:20533-1SUSE-SU-2025:20496-1SUSE-RU-2025:20479-1SUSE-SU-2025:02082-1SUSE-SU-2025:02081-1

  • gdm openSUSE Tumbleweed 48.0-10.1
  • pam_pkcs11 openSUSE Tumbleweed 0.6.13-2.1

opensuse advisories openSUSE-SU-2025:15219-1openSUSE-SU-2025:15257-1

Vendor advisories

What the vendors themselves say about their products: affected, fixed or not affected, and what to do.

red hat product security vex CVE-2025-6018 updated cvss 7.8

pam-config: LPE from unprivileged to allow_active in PAM

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 pam Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 pam Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 pam
    not affected: vulnerable code not present

Red Hat CSAF VEX © Red Hat, Inc., from https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/; changed: reduced to product statuses and remediations. CC BY 4.0 · csaf

Timeline

  1. Published
  2. First public exploit (EDB-52386)

CISA SSVC

Exploitation
Proof of concept is public
Automatable
no
Technical impact
total
Assessed
15 mo ago

Exploit prediction

1.10% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 65% of all scored CVEs (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-08).

Exploits and checks

  • EDB-52386 Linux PAM Environment - Variable Injection Local Privilege Escalation local, 2025-07-28
  • cdn2.qualys.com https://cdn2.qualys.com/2025/06/17/suse15-pam-udisks-lpe.txt referenced PoC, tagged "exploit" by a source, unverified
  • bugzilla.suse.com https://bugzilla.suse.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1243226 referenced PoC, tagged "exploit" by a source, unverified

CVSS scores

assigned by version score vector
CNA 3.1 7.8 CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected products

  • Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
  • Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
  • Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9

Classification

Weakness

References

Sources

Fencer Vulns keeps one entry per vulnerability: the CVE id wins, then GHSA, and records that alias each other are merged, except that two CVEs always keep separate entries. The same data is available as JSON.