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CVE-2026-48983

MediumCVSS 5.8 / 10
Published Jun 18, 2026·Last modified Jul 8, 2026
Affected Components(0)

No affected components available

Description

pam_usb provides hardware authentication for Linux using ordinary removable media. In versions prior to 0.9.2, a symlink race condition exists in per-device and per-user pad directory creation. pam_usb uses a check-then-act pattern: it calls lstat() to test for existence and then calls mkdir() separately to create the directory. A local attacker can win the race between these calls by replacing the target path with a symlink to a directory they control. If successful, one-time pad files may be written to an attacker-controlled location, potentially exposing future pad values before use or disrupting authentication. This issue has been fixed in version 0.9.2.

Risk Scores
Base Score
5.8

The vulnerability requires local access to the device to be exploited. It is difficult for an attacker to exploit this vulnerability and may require special conditions. An attacker needs basic access or low-level privileges. No user interaction is needed for the attacker to exploit this vulnerability. The impact is confined to the system where the vulnerability exists. There is a high impact on the confidentiality of the information. There is a low impact on the integrity of the data. There is a low impact on the availability of the system.

Threat Intelligence
5.3

Exploitation attempts have been detected. Elevated vigilance and prompt remediation are advised.

EPSS
0.11%

The exploit probability is very low. The vulnerability is unlikely to be exploited in the next 30 days.

Exploit
Not available

We did not find any exploit available. Neither in GitHub repositories nor in the Exploit-Database.

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