Description
procps-ng before version 3.3.15 is vulnerable to a local privilege escalation in top. If a user runs top with HOME unset in an attacker-controlled directory, the attacker could achieve privilege escalation by exploiting one of several vulnerabilities in the config_file() function.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| [UNKNOWN] | procps-ng, procps | procps-ng 3.3.15 | — |
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 | procps | 2:3.3.15-1 | — |
| Debian 13 | procps | 2:3.3.15-1 | — |
| Debian 12 | procps | 2:3.3.15-1 | — |
| Debian 9 | procps | 2:3.3.12-3+deb9u1 | DSA-4208-1 |
| Debian 8 | procps | 2:3.3.9-9+deb8u1 | DSA-4208-1 |
Show 1 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 7 | procps | 1:3.3.3-3+deb7u1 | DLA-1390-1 |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 18.04 LTS | procps | 2:3.3.12-3ubuntu1.1 | USN-3658-1 |
| Ubuntu 16.04 LTS | procps | 2:3.3.10-4ubuntu2.4 | USN-3658-1 |
| Ubuntu 14.04 LTS | procps | 1:3.3.9-1ubuntu2.3 | USN-3658-1 |
Red Hat
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| RHEL 7 | procps-ng +2 | 3.3.10-26.el7 | RHSA-2019:2189 |
Show 5 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| RHEL 7.6 EUS | procps-ng +2 | 3.3.10-23.el7_6.2 | RHSA-2020:1464 |
| RHEL 7.5 EUS | procps-ng +2 | 3.3.10-17.el7_5.4 | RHSA-2020:1265 |
| RHEL 7.4 TUS | procps-ng +2 | 3.3.10-16.el7_4.2 | RHSA-2020:0595 |
| RHEL 7.4 E4S | procps-ng +2 | 3.3.10-16.el7_4.2 | RHSA-2020:0595 |
| RHEL 7.4 AUS | procps-ng +2 | 3.3.10-16.el7_4.2 | RHSA-2020:0595 |
SUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLES 15 SP1 | procps | 3.3.15-7.7.26 | SUSE-SU-2019:2730-1 |
| SLES 15 | procps | 3.3.15-7.7.26 | SUSE-SU-2019:2730-1 |
| SLES 12 SP4 | procps | 3.3.9-11.18.1 | SUSE-SU-2019:0450-1 |
| SLES 12 SP3 | procps | 3.3.9-11.11.1 | SUSE-SU-2019:0450-1, SUSE-SU-2018:2451-2, SUSE-SU-2018:1836-1 |
| SLES 12 SP2 | procps | 3.3.9-11.18.1 | SUSE-SU-2019:0450-1 |
Show 10 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLES 12 SP1 | procps | 3.3.9-11.18.1 | SUSE-SU-2019:0450-1 |
| SLES 12 | procps | 3.3.9-11.18.1 | SUSE-SU-2019:0450-1 |
| SLES 11 SP4 | procps | 3.2.7-152.31.1 | SUSE-SU-2018:2042-1 |
| SLES for SAP 12 SP4 | procps | 3.3.9-11.18.1 | SUSE-SU-2019:0450-1 |
| SLES for SAP 12 SP3 | procps | 3.3.9-11.11.1 | SUSE-SU-2019:0450-1, SUSE-SU-2018:2451-2, SUSE-SU-2018:1836-1 |
| SLES for SAP 12 SP2 | procps | 3.3.9-11.18.1 | SUSE-SU-2019:0450-1 |
| SLES for SAP 12 SP1 | procps | 3.3.9-11.18.1 | SUSE-SU-2019:0450-2 |
| SLES for SAP 11 SP4 | procps | 3.2.7-152.31.1 | SUSE-SU-2018:2042-1 |
| SUSE OpenStack Cloud 7 | procps | 3.3.9-11.18.1 | SUSE-SU-2019:0450-1 |
| SUSE Enterprise Storage 4 | procps | 3.3.9-11.18.1 | SUSE-SU-2019:0450-1 |
openSUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| openSUSE Tumbleweed | procps | 3.3.17-5.2 | openSUSE-SU-2024:11195-1 |
| openSUSE Leap 15.1 | procps | 3.3.15-lp151.6.3.1 | openSUSE-SU-2019:2376-1 |
| openSUSE Leap 15.0 | procps | 3.3.15-lp150.5.3.1 | openSUSE-SU-2019:2379-1 |
Amazon Linux
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Linux 2 | procps-ng +2 | 3.3.10-26.amzn2 | ALAS2-2019-1333 |
Oracle Linux
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oracle Linux 7 | procps-ng +2 | 3.3.10-26.el7 | ELSA-2019-2189 |
Public exploits
Exploit or proof-of-concept code for this vulnerability is publicly available, which lowers the bar for attackers. Treat it as a reason to patch sooner.
Third-party code, not reviewed by us. Public PoCs are sometimes fake or contain malware. Read the code first and run it only in an isolated lab, against systems you are authorised to test.
Exploit-DB 1
- Procps-ng - Multiple Vulnerabilities EDB-44806 · local · May 30, 2018
Sources: PoC-in-GitHub, Metasploit Framework, Exploit-DB — updated daily. Only links are listed; no exploit code is hosted here.
Advisories 19
- WID-SEC-2022-0517 Red Hat Enterprise Linux: Mehrere Schwachstellen BSI CERT-Bund (WID) · Oct 18, 2026
- RHSA-2020:1464 Red Hat Security Advisory: procps-ng security update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jul 1, 2026
- RHSA-2020:1265 Red Hat Security Advisory: procps-ng security update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jul 1, 2026
- RHSA-2020:0595 Red Hat Security Advisory: procps-ng security update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jul 1, 2026
- RHSA-2019:2189 Red Hat Security Advisory: procps-ng security and bug fix update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jul 1, 2026
- USN-3658-1 procps vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Apr 22, 2026
- DSA-4208-1 procps - security update Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
- DLA-1390-1 procps - security update Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
- openSUSE-SU-2019:2379-1 Security update for procps SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2019:0450-2 Security update for procps SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- openSUSE-SU-2019:2376-1 Security update for procps SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- openSUSE-SU-2024:11195-1 libprocps8-3.3.17-5.2 on GA media SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2018:1836-1 Security update for procps SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2018:2451-2 Security update for procps SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2018:2042-1 Security update for procps SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2019:2730-1 Security update for procps SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2019:0450-1 Security update for procps SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- ALAS2-2019-1333 Moderate: procps-ng security update (Amazon Linux 2) Amazon Linux Security Center (ALAS) · Oct 23, 2019
- ELSA-2019-2189 Moderate: procps-ng security and bug fix update (Oracle Linux 7) Oracle Linux Security Advisories (ELSA) · Aug 13, 2019
References
- USN-3658-1 vendor-advisory
- DSA-4208 vendor-advisory
- GLSA-201805-14 vendor-advisory
- 44806 exploit
- [debian-lts-announce] 20180531 [SECURITY] [DLA 1390-1] procps security update mailing-list
- USN-3658-3 vendor-advisory
- 104214 vdb-entry
- [oss-security] 20180517 Qualys Security Advisory - Procps-ng Audit Report mailing-list
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=CVE-2018-1122
- https://www.qualys.com/2018/05/17/procps-ng-audit-report-advisory.txt
- RHSA-2019:2189 vendor-advisory
- openSUSE-SU-2019:2376 vendor-advisory
- openSUSE-SU-2019:2379 vendor-advisory
- RHSA-2020:0595 vendor-advisory