Description
A flaw was found in linux-pam. The module pam_namespace may use access user-controlled paths without proper protection, allowing local users to elevate their privileges to root via multiple symlink attacks and race conditions.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | linux-pam | < 1.7.1 | 1.7.1 |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 | — | — |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10.0 Extended Update Support | — | — |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 Extended Lifecycle Support | — | — |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | — | — |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.2 Advanced Update Support | — | — |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Advanced Mission Critical Update Support | — | — |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.6 Advanced Mission Critical Update Support | — | — |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.6 Telecommunications Update Service | — | — |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.6 Update Services for SAP Solutions | — | — |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.8 Telecommunications Update Service | — | — |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.8 Update Services for SAP Solutions | — | — |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | — | — |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.0 Update Services for SAP Solutions | — | — |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.2 Update Services for SAP Solutions | — | — |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.4 Extended Update Support | — | — |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Web Terminal 1.11 on RHEL 9 | — | — |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Web Terminal 1.12 on RHEL 9 | — | — |
| Red Hat | RHEL-8 based Middleware Containers | — | — |
| Red Hat | RHOSS-1.36-RHEL-8 | — | — |
| Red Hat | cert-manager operator for Red Hat OpenShift 1.16 | — | — |
| Red Hat | OpenShift Compliance Operator 1 | — | — |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Discovery 2 | — | — |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Insights proxy 1.5 | — | — |
| Red Hat | Red Hat OpenShift distributed tracing 3.6.0 | — | — |
| Red Hat | Red Hat OpenShift sandboxed containers 1.10 | — | — |
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 | pam | 1.7.0-5 | — |
| Debian 13 | pam | 1.7.0-5 | — |
| Debian 12 | pam | 1.5.2-6+deb12u2 | — |
| Debian 11 | pam | 1.4.0-9+deb11u2 | DLA-4306-1 |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 25.10 | pam | 1.5.3-7ubuntu6 | — |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | pam | 1.5.3-5ubuntu5.4 | USN-7580-1 |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | pam | 1.4.0-11ubuntu2.6 | USN-7580-1 |
Show 4 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu Pro 20.04 LTS | pam | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro 18.04 LTS | pam | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro 16.04 LTS | pam | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro 14.04 LTS | pam | No fix yet | — |
Red Hat
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| RHEL 10 | pam +2 | 1.6.1-8.el10 | RHSA-2025:20181 |
| RHEL 9 | pam +2 | 1.5.1-25.el9_6 | RHSA-2025:15099, RHSA-2025:9526 |
| RHEL 8 | pam +1 | 1.3.1-37.el8_10 | RHSA-2025:14557, RHSA-2025:10027 |
Show 12 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| RHEL 10.0 EUS | pam +2 | 1.6.1-8.el10_0 | RHSA-2025:22019 |
| RHEL 9.4 EUS | pam +2 | 1.5.1-24.el9_4 | RHSA-2025:10024 |
| RHEL 9.2 E4S | pam +2 | 1.5.1-15.el9_2.1 | RHSA-2025:10180 |
| RHEL 9.0 E4S | pam +2 | 1.5.1-9.el9_0.2 | RHSA-2025:10354 |
| RHEL 8.8 TUS | pam +1 | 1.3.1-26.el8_8.1 | RHSA-2025:10358 |
| RHEL 8.8 E4S | pam +1 | 1.3.1-26.el8_8.1 | RHSA-2025:10358 |
| RHEL 8.6 TUS | pam +1 | 1.3.1-16.el8_6.2 | RHSA-2025:10359 |
| RHEL 8.6 E4S | pam +1 | 1.3.1-16.el8_6.2 | RHSA-2025:10359 |
| RHEL 8.6 AUS | pam +1 | 1.3.1-16.el8_6.2 | RHSA-2025:10359 |
| RHEL 8.4 AUS | pam +1 | 1.3.1-14.el8_4.1 | RHSA-2025:10361 |
| RHEL 8.2 AUS | pam +1 | 1.3.1-8.el8_2.1 | RHSA-2025:10362 |
| RHEL 7 ELS | pam +1 | 1.1.8-23.el7_9.1 | RHSA-2025:10357 |
AlmaLinux
Errata ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| AlmaLinux 10 | pam +2 | 1.6.1-8.el10 | ALSA-2025:20181 |
| AlmaLinux 9 | pam +2 | 1.5.1-25.el9_6 | ALSA-2025:15099, ALSA-2025:9526 |
| AlmaLinux 8 | pam +1 | 1.3.1-37.el8_10 | ALSA-2025:14557, ALSA-2025:10027 |
Rocky Linux
Errata ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rocky Linux 10 | pam | 1.6.1-8.el10 | RLSA-2025:20181 |
| Rocky Linux 9 | pam | 1.5.1-25.el9_6 | RLSA-2025:15099, RLSA-2025:9526 |
| Rocky Linux 8 | pam | 1.3.1-37.el8_10 | RLSA-2025:14557, RLSA-2025:10027 |
SUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLES 15 SP7 | pam | 1.3.0-150000.6.83.1 | SUSE-SU-2025:02013-1 |
| SLES 15 SP6 | pam | 1.3.0-150000.6.83.1 | SUSE-SU-2025:02013-1 |
| SLES 15 SP5 | pam | 1.3.0-150000.6.83.1 | SUSE-SU-2025:02013-1 |
| SLES 15 SP4 | pam | 1.3.0-150000.6.83.1 | SUSE-SU-2025:02013-1 |
| SLES 15 SP3 | pam | 1.3.0-150000.6.83.1 | SUSE-SU-2025:02013-1 |
Show 16 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLES for SAP 15 SP5 | pam | 1.3.0-150000.6.83.1 | SUSE-SU-2025:02013-1 |
| SLES for SAP 15 SP4 | pam | 1.3.0-150000.6.83.1 | SUSE-SU-2025:02013-1 |
| SLES for SAP 15 SP3 | pam | 1.3.0-150000.6.83.1 | SUSE-SU-2025:02013-1 |
| SLE Micro 6.1 | pam | 1.6.1-slfo.1.1_3.1 | SUSE-SU-2025:20441-1 |
| SLE Micro 6.0 | pam | 1.6.0-5.1 | SUSE-SU-2025:20427-1 |
| SLE Micro 5.5 | pam | 1.3.0-150000.6.83.1 | SUSE-SU-2025:02013-1 |
| SLE Micro 5.4 | pam | 1.3.0-150000.6.83.1 | SUSE-SU-2025:02013-1 |
| SLE Micro 5.3 | pam | 1.3.0-150000.6.83.1 | SUSE-SU-2025:02013-1 |
| SLE Micro 5.2 | pam | 1.3.0-150000.6.83.1 | SUSE-SU-2025:02013-1 |
| SLE Micro 5.1 | pam | 1.3.0-150000.6.83.1 | SUSE-SU-2025:02013-1 |
| SLE HPC 15 SP5 | pam | 1.3.0-150000.6.83.1 | SUSE-SU-2025:02013-1 |
| SLE HPC 15 SP4 | pam | 1.3.0-150000.6.83.1 | SUSE-SU-2025:02013-1 |
| SLE HPC 15 SP3 | pam | 1.3.0-150000.6.83.1 | SUSE-SU-2025:02013-1 |
| SUSE Manager Server 4.3 | pam | 1.3.0-150000.6.83.1 | SUSE-SU-2025:02013-1 |
| SUSE Manager Proxy 4.3 | pam | 1.3.0-150000.6.83.1 | SUSE-SU-2025:02013-1 |
| SUSE Enterprise Storage 7.1 | pam | 1.3.0-150000.6.83.1 | SUSE-SU-2025:02013-1 |
openSUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| openSUSE Tumbleweed | pam | 1.7.1-1.1 | openSUSE-SU-2025:15256-1 |
| openSUSE Leap 15.6 | pam | 1.3.0-150000.6.83.1 | SUSE-SU-2025:02013-1 |
Amazon Linux
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Linux 2023 | pam +2 | 1.5.1-8.amzn2023.0.6 | ALAS2023-2025-1121 |
| Amazon Linux 2 | pam +1 | 1.1.8-23.amzn2.0.4 | ALAS2-2025-2950 |
Azure Linux
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Azure Linux 3 | pam | 1.5.3-5 | — |
| Azure Linux 2 (CBL-Mariner) | pam | 1.5.1-8 | — |
Oracle Linux
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oracle Linux 9 | pam +2 | 1.5.1-25.0.1.el9_6 | ELSA-2025-15099, ELSA-2025-9526 |
| Oracle Linux 8 | pam +1 | 1.3.1-37.0.1.el8_10 | ELSA-2025-14557, ELSA-2025-10027 |
| Oracle Linux 7 | pam +1 | 1.1.8-23.0.3.el7 | ELSA-2025-10357 |
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.
GitHub 1 repository
-
knoxoxen/CVE-2025-6020-upstream-fix ★ 0 · Nov 10, 2026
Upstream fix for CVE-2025-6020 - Linux-PAM pam_namespace privilege escalation
Sources: PoC-in-GitHub, Metasploit Framework, Exploit-DB — updated daily. Only links are listed; no exploit code is hosted here.
Advisories 43
- ALSA-2025:20181 Important: pam security update AlmaLinux Security Advisories · Oct 29, 2026
- ALSA-2025:15099 Important: pam security update AlmaLinux Security Advisories · Oct 29, 2026
- ALSA-2025:9526 Important: pam security update AlmaLinux Security Advisories · Oct 29, 2026
- ALSA-2025:14557 Important: pam security update AlmaLinux Security Advisories · Oct 29, 2026
- ALSA-2025:10027 Important: pam security update AlmaLinux Security Advisories · Oct 29, 2026
- RHSA-2025:9526 Red Hat Security Advisory: pam security update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Oct 14, 2026
- RHSA-2025:22019 Red Hat Security Advisory: pam security update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Oct 14, 2026
- RHSA-2025:20181 Red Hat Security Advisory: pam security update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Oct 14, 2026
- RHSA-2025:15099 Red Hat Security Advisory: pam security update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Oct 14, 2026
- RHSA-2025:14557 Red Hat Security Advisory: pam security update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Oct 14, 2026
- RHSA-2025:10362 Red Hat Security Advisory: pam security update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Oct 14, 2026
- RHSA-2025:10359 Red Hat Security Advisory: pam security update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Oct 14, 2026
- RHSA-2025:10361 Red Hat Security Advisory: pam security update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Oct 14, 2026
- RHSA-2025:10358 Red Hat Security Advisory: pam security update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Oct 14, 2026
- RHSA-2025:10357 Red Hat Security Advisory: pam security update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Oct 14, 2026
- RHSA-2025:10354 Red Hat Security Advisory: pam security update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Oct 14, 2026
- RHSA-2025:10180 Red Hat Security Advisory: pam security update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Oct 14, 2026
- RHSA-2025:10027 Red Hat Security Advisory: pam security update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Oct 14, 2026
- RHSA-2025:10024 Red Hat Security Advisory: pam security update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Oct 14, 2026
- WID-SEC-2026-1118 Dell PowerProtect Data Domain OS: Mehrere Schwachstellen BSI CERT-Bund (WID) · Aug 5, 2026
- ICSA-26-134-16 Siemens Ruggedcom Rox CISA ICS & IT advisories · May 14, 2026
- NCSC-2026-0147 Kwetsbaarheden verholpen in Siemens-producten NCSC-NL (Netherlands) · May 13, 2026
- WID-SEC-2025-1339 PAM: Schwachstelle ermöglicht Privilegieneskalation BSI CERT-Bund (WID) · May 12, 2026
- SSA-577017 SSA-577017: Multiple Vulnerabilities in Ruggedcom Rox Before 2.17.1 Siemens ProductCERT · May 12, 2026
- USN-7580-1 pam vulnerability Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Apr 27, 2026
- openSUSE-SU-2025:15256-1 pam-1.7.1-1.1 on GA media SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Mar 23, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2025:20427-1 Security update for pam SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Mar 23, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2025:20441-1 Security update for pam SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Mar 23, 2026
- DLA-4306-1 pam - security update Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2025:02013-1 Security update for pam SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- RLSA-2025:20181 Important: pam security update Rocky Linux Security Advisories · Jan 14, 2026
- RLSA-2025:15099 Important: pam security update Rocky Linux Security Advisories · Oct 10, 2025
- RLSA-2025:9526 Important: pam security update Rocky Linux Security Advisories · Oct 7, 2025
- WID-SEC-2025-2043 IBM QRadar SIEM: Mehrere Schwachstellen BSI CERT-Bund (WID) · Oct 1, 2025
- RLSA-2025:14557 Important: pam security update Rocky Linux Security Advisories · Sep 8, 2025
- ELSA-2025-15099 Important: pam security update (Oracle Linux 9) Oracle Linux Security Advisories (ELSA) · Sep 3, 2025
- ELSA-2025-10357 Important: pam security update (Oracle Linux 7) Oracle Linux Security Advisories (ELSA) · Sep 2, 2025
- ELSA-2025-14557 Important: pam security update (Oracle Linux 8) Oracle Linux Security Advisories (ELSA) · Aug 26, 2025
- ALAS2023-2025-1121 Moderate: pam security update (Amazon Linux 2023) Amazon Linux Security Center (ALAS) · Aug 8, 2025
- ALAS2-2025-2950 Moderate: pam security update (Amazon Linux 2) Amazon Linux Security Center (ALAS) · Aug 4, 2025
- RLSA-2025:10027 Important: pam security update Rocky Linux Security Advisories · Jul 29, 2025
- ELSA-2025-10027 Important: pam security update (Oracle Linux 8) Oracle Linux Security Advisories (ELSA) · Jul 1, 2025
- ELSA-2025-9526 Important: pam security update (Oracle Linux 9) Oracle Linux Security Advisories (ELSA) · Jun 24, 2025
References
- RHSA-2025:10024 vendor-advisory
- RHSA-2025:10027 vendor-advisory
- RHSA-2025:10180 vendor-advisory
- RHSA-2025:10354 vendor-advisory
- RHSA-2025:10357 vendor-advisory
- RHSA-2025:10358 vendor-advisory
- RHSA-2025:10359 vendor-advisory
- RHSA-2025:10361 vendor-advisory
- RHSA-2025:10362 vendor-advisory
- RHSA-2025:10735 vendor-advisory
- RHSA-2025:10823 vendor-advisory
- RHSA-2025:11386 vendor-advisory
- RHSA-2025:11487 vendor-advisory
- RHSA-2025:14557 vendor-advisory
- RHSA-2025:15099 vendor-advisory
- RHSA-2025:15709 vendor-advisory
- RHSA-2025:15827 vendor-advisory
- RHSA-2025:15828 vendor-advisory
- RHSA-2025:16524 vendor-advisory
- RHSA-2025:17181 vendor-advisory
- RHSA-2025:18219 vendor-advisory
- RHSA-2025:20181 vendor-advisory
- RHSA-2025:21885 vendor-advisory
- RHSA-2025:22019 vendor-advisory
- RHSA-2025:9526 vendor-advisory
- RHSA-2026:0934 vendor-advisory
- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2025-6020 vdb-entry
- RHBZ#2372512 issue-tracking
- https://github.com/linux-pam/linux-pam/security/advisories/GHSA-f9p8-gjr4-j9gx