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CVE-2015-3246

libuser before 0.56.13-8 and 0.60 before 0.60-7, as used in the userhelper program in the usermode package, directly modifies /etc/passwd,…

High7.4Known exploitedPublic exploitEPSS 8.5%
Published
Updated
Reserved
Assigned by
redhat

Description

libuser before 0.56.13-8 and 0.60 before 0.60-7, as used in the userhelper program in the usermode package, directly modifies /etc/passwd, which allows local users to cause a denial of service (inconsistent file state) by causing an error during the modification. NOTE: this issue can be combined with CVE-2015-3245 to gain privileges.

Exploited in the wild

CISA lists this vulnerability in its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog as Red Hat Libuser Race Condition Vulnerability.

Added
26 Aug 2026
Fix due (US federal)
9 Sept 2026
Used by ransomware
Not known

Apply mitigations in accordance with vendor instructions, ensuring compliance with CISA’s BOD 26-04 Prioritizing Security Updates Based on Risk (see URL in Notes) guidance and CISA’s “Forensics Triage Requirements” (see URL in Notes). Follow applicable BOD 26-04 guidance for cloud services or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable. Stakeholders are responsible for evaluating each asset's internet exposure and ensuring adherence to BOD 26-04 patching guidelines.

ENISA's EU Vulnerability Database lists it as exploited, from CISA's KEV, since 26 Aug 2026.

Public exploit

An exploit or proof of concept is public: anyone can try it against an unpatched system. The public collections list a Metasploit module and 2 Exploit-DB entries for it. A reference of the record is tagged as an exploit. CISA's SSVC rates its exploitation: it is being exploited.

Metasploit modules1 module

Exploit-DB2 entries

References tagged exploit1 reference

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

  1. ID reserved

    By redhat

  2. · 4 months later

    Published

  3. · 11 years later

    Added to CISA KEV

    Known exploited in the wild

  4. · 36 days 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

CVSS scores of CVE-2015-3246, by who scored it
Scored byCVSSScoreVector
CISA-ADPADP (enrichment)3.1High7.4CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
NVDNVD · Analyzed3.1High7.4CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)
8.5% · top 4.9% of all CVEs (9 Nov 2026)
CISA SSVC
Exploitation: active · Automatable: no · Technical impact: total
Loading the EPSS history…

The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: High 7.4.

Weakness

Affected products

  • n/a

    • affected n/a

References (12)

Sources

The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.

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Record last updated .