Description
faxspool in mgetty 1.1.36 allows local users to overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on a /tmp/faxsp.##### temporary file.
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Debian
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 14 | mgetty | 1.1.36-1.3 | — |
| Debian 13 | mgetty | 1.1.36-1.3 | — |
| Debian 12 | mgetty | 1.1.36-1.3 | — |
openSUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| openSUSE Tumbleweed | mgetty | 1.2.1-6.2 | openSUSE-SU-2024:11047-1 |
Advisories 1
- openSUSE-SU-2024:11047-1 g3utils-1.2.1-6.2 on GA media SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
References
- https://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=235806
- [oss-security] 20081030 CVE requests: tempfile issues for aview, mgetty, openoffice, crossfire mailing-list
- https://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=235770
- mgetty-faxspool-symlink(44833) vdb-entry
- http://uvw.ru/report.lenny.txt
- http://dev.gentoo.org/~rbu/security/debiantemp/mgetty-fax
- 33051 third-party-advisory
- http://bugs.debian.org/496403
- 30927 vdb-entry
- GLSA-200812-08 vendor-advisory