Description
rkhunter in rkhunter 1.3.2 allows local users to overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on the /tmp/rkhunter-debug temporary file. NOTE: this is probably a different vulnerability than CVE-2005-1270.
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 | rkhunter | 1.3.2-6 | — |
| Debian 13 | rkhunter | 1.3.2-6 | — |
| Debian 12 | rkhunter | 1.3.2-6 | — |
openSUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| openSUSE Tumbleweed | rkhunter | 1.4.6-5.6 | openSUSE-SU-2024:11301-1 |
Advisories 1
- openSUSE-SU-2024:11301-1 rkhunter-1.4.6-5.6 on GA media SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
References
- https://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=235798
- [oss-security] 20081030 CVE requests: tempfile issues for aview, mgetty, openoffice, crossfire mailing-list
- https://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=235770
- http://dev.gentoo.org/~rbu/security/debiantemp/rkhunter
- http://bugs.debian.org/496375
- rkhunter-rkhunterdebug-symlink(46511) vdb-entry