Description
An issue was discovered in mgetty before 1.2.1. In fax/faxq-helper.c, the function do_activate() does not properly sanitize shell metacharacters to prevent command injection. It is possible to use the ||, &&, or > characters within a file created by the "faxq-helper activate <jobid>" command.
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 | 1.2.1-1 | — |
| Debian 13 | mgetty | 1.2.1-1 | — |
| Debian 12 | mgetty | 1.2.1-1 | — |
| Debian 9 | mgetty | 1.1.36-3+deb9u1 | DSA-4291-1 |
| Debian 8 | mgetty | 1.1.36-2.1+deb8u1 | DLA-1502-1 |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 18.04 LTS | mgetty | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 16.04 LTS | mgetty | 1.1.36-2.1+deb8u1build0.16.04.1 | — |
SUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLES 15 | mgetty | 1.1.37-3.3.2 | SUSE-SU-2018:2894-1 |
| SLES 12 SP3 | mgetty | 1.1.36-58.3.1 | SUSE-SU-2018:2979-1 |
| SLES 11 SP4 | mgetty | 1.1.36-28.3.1 | SUSE-SU-2018:2850-1 |
Show 2 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLES for SAP 12 SP3 | mgetty | 1.1.36-58.3.1 | SUSE-SU-2018:2979-1 |
| SLES for SAP 11 SP4 | mgetty | 1.1.36-28.3.1 | SUSE-SU-2018:2850-1 |
openSUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| openSUSE Tumbleweed | mgetty | 1.2.1-6.2 | openSUSE-SU-2024:11047-1 |
Advisories 6
- DSA-4291-1 mgetty - security update Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
- DLA-1502-1 mgetty - security update Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2018:2979-1 Security update for mgetty SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2018:2850-1 Security update for mgetty SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- openSUSE-SU-2024:11047-1 g3utils-1.2.1-6.2 on GA media SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2018:2894-1 Security update for mgetty SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026