CVE-2011-4122
Directory traversal vulnerability in openpam_configure.c in OpenPAM before r478 on FreeBSD 8.1 allows local users to load arbitrary DSOs…
- 6.9MediumCVSS base score
- 0.89%Exploitation in 30 daysEPSS · top 41% of all CVEs
- NoKnown exploitednot in CISA's KEV catalog
- 1Public exploitsMetasploit, Nuclei and Exploit-DB
Description
Directory traversal vulnerability in openpam_configure.c in OpenPAM before r478 on FreeBSD 8.1 allows local users to load arbitrary DSOs and gain privileges via a .. (dot dot) in the service_name argument to the pam_start function, as demonstrated by a .. in the -c option to kcheckpass.
Public exploit
An exploit or proof of concept is public: anyone can try it against an unpatched system. The public collections list an Exploit-DB entry for it.
Show the exploits1
Exploit-DB1 entry
- OpenPAM - 'pam_start()' Local Privilege Escalation (Exploit-DB entry) (opens in a new tab)
EDB-ID 36296local, bsdpublished 9 Nov 2011Verified
Modules, templates and exploits as listed by the Metasploit Framework (BSD-3-Clause), ProjectDiscovery's Nuclei templates (MIT) and the Exploit Database (GPLv2), read once a day. Where the data comes from
Timeline
ID reserved
By redhat
- 30 days later
· 30 days later
Published
- 13 years later
· 13 years later
Record updated
Changes after publication (a new score, a public exploit, EPSS crossing 1, 10 or 50 %, leaving KEV) are kept since November 2026; earlier ones are not known.
Scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| NVDNVD · Modified | 2.0 | Medium6.9 | AV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C |
- EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)
- 0.89% · top 41% of all CVEs (9 Nov 2026)
The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: Medium 6.9.
Affected products
n/a
- affected n/a
References
9
- http://stealth.openwall.net/xSports/pamslam (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- 46756 (opens in a new tab)third-party-advisoryx_refsource_SECUNIAx_transferred
- [oss-security] 20111207 Disputing CVE-2011-4122 (opens in a new tab)mailing-listx_refsource_MLISTx_transferred
- http://trac.des.no/openpam/changeset/478/trunk/lib/openpam_configure.c (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
- openpam-Pamstart-privilege-escalation(71205) (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_XFx_transferred
- 76945 (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_OSVDBx_transferred
- http://c-skills.blogspot.com/2011/11/openpam-trickery.html (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- [oss-security] 20111208 Re: Disputing CVE-2011-4122 (opens in a new tab)mailing-listx_refsource_MLISTx_transferred
- 46804 (opens in a new tab)third-party-advisoryx_refsource_SECUNIAx_transferred
Sources
The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.
- CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
- CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
- NVD (opens in a new tab)
- FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
- EUVD EUVD-2011-4070 (opens in a new tab)
- OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
- GitHub Advisories (opens in a new tab)
- CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)
Badge for a README or a ticket
[](https://cveledger.app/cve/CVE-2011-4122)Record last updated .