Vulnerability Monitor

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CVE-2015-5224

The mkostemp function in login-utils in util-linux when used incorrectly allows remote attackers to cause file name collision and possibly other attacks.

Security Impact Summary

This vulnerability carries a CRITICAL severity rating with a CVSS v3.1 score of 9.8, indicating it can be exploited remotely over the network with relatively low complexity without requiring user interaction and does not require pre-existing privileges . The vulnerability impacts confidentiality (data exposure), integrity (unauthorized modifications), and availability (service disruption) for affected systems. Impacting 1 product from kernel organizations running these solutions should prioritize assessment and patching.

Historical Context

First disclosed in 2017, this vulnerability was reported during a period defined by widespread IoT adoption challenges, mobile security concerns, and the emergence of advanced persistent threat (APT) techniques. Contemporary mitigation strategies focused on secure development practices and third-party component vetting.

Published

2017-08-23T15:29:00.207

Last Modified

2025-12-04T20:16:16.327

Status

Deferred

Source

[email protected]

Severity

CVSSv3.1: 9.8 (CRITICAL)

CVSSv2 Vector

AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P

Access Vector: NETWORK
Access Complexity: LOW
Authentication: NONE
Confidentiality Impact: PARTIAL
Integrity Impact: PARTIAL
Availability Impact: PARTIAL

Exploitability Score

10.0

Impact Score

6.4

Weaknesses

Type: Primary
NVD-CWE-noinfo
Type: Secondary
CWE-377

Affected Vendors & Products

Type	Vendor	Product	Version/Range	Vulnerable?
Application	kernel	util-linux	≤ 2.26.2	Yes
Application	kernel	util-linux	2.27	Yes

References

http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2015/08/24/3 Mailing List, Third Party Advisory ([email protected])
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/76467 Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry ([email protected])
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1256686 Issue Tracking, Patch, Third Party Advisory ([email protected])
https://github.com/karelzak/util-linux/commit/bde91c85bdc77975155058276f99d2e0f5eab5a9 Patch, Third Party Advisory ([email protected])
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2015/08/24/3 Mailing List, Third Party Advisory (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/76467 Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1256686 Issue Tracking, Patch, Third Party Advisory (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
https://github.com/karelzak/util-linux/commit/bde91c85bdc77975155058276f99d2e0f5eab5a9 Patch, Third Party Advisory (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)

How SecUtils Interprets This CVE

SecUtils normalizes and enriches National Vulnerability Database (NVD) records by standardizing vendor and product identifiers, aggregating vulnerability metadata from both NVD and MITRE sources, and providing structured context for security teams. For kernel's affected products, we extract Common Platform Enumeration (CPE) data, Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) classifications, CVSS severity metrics, and reference data to enable rapid vulnerability prioritization and asset correlation. This record contains no exploit code, proof-of-concept instructions, or attack methodologies—only defensive intelligence necessary for patch management, risk assessment, and security operations.