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CVE-2002-1160

Status: ModifiedHigh (7.2)—
Severity7.2High · CVSS 2.0
Exploitation probability0.43 %higher than 36% of CVEs
Active exploitationNonot in the CISA catalog
Public exploitNot knownno public code found

The default configuration of the pam_xauth module forwards MIT-Magic-Cookies to new X sessions, which could allow local users to gain root privileges by stealing the cookies from a temporary .xauth file, which is created with the original user's credentials after root uses su.

CVSS

Base score
7.2
Version
2.0
Vector
AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

Exploitation probability (EPSS)

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
0.43 %
Percentile among all scored CVEs
36
Score date
10/20/2026

EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System, FIRST) estimates how likely a vulnerability is to be exploited in the wild within 30 days. It complements CVSS (impact) and CISA KEV (confirmed exploitation).

Affected technologies (1)

Redhat — Linux

CWEs

References

Show 18 references

Raw JSON (NVD)

Show
{
  "id": "CVE-2002-1160",
  "cveTags": [],
  "metrics": {
    "cvssMetricV2": [
      {
        "type": "Primary",
        "source": "nvd@nist.gov",
        "cvssData": {
          "version": "2.0",
          "baseScore": 7.2,
          "accessVector": "LOCAL",
          "vectorString": "AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C",
          "authentication": "NONE",
          "integrityImpact": "COMPLETE",
          "accessComplexity": "LOW",
          "availabilityImpact": "COMPLETE",
          "confidentialityImpact": "COMPLETE"
        },
        "acInsufInfo": false,
        "impactScore": 10,
        "baseSeverity": "HIGH",
        "obtainAllPrivilege": true,
        "exploitabilityScore": 3.9,
        "obtainUserPrivilege": false,
        "obtainOtherPrivilege": false,
        "userInteractionRequired": false
      }
    ]
  },
  "affected": [
    {
      "source": "cve@mitre.org",
      "affectedData": [
        {
          "vendor": "n/a",
          "product": "n/a",
          "versions": [
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "n/a"
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "published": "2003-02-19T05:00:00.000",
  "references": [
    {
      "url": "http://distro.conectiva.com.br/atualizacoes/?id=a&anuncio=000693",
      "source": "cve@mitre.org"
    },
    {
      "url": "http://marc.info/?l=bugtraq&m=104431622818954&w=2",
      "source": "cve@mitre.org"
    },
    {
      "url": "http://sunsolve.sun.com/pub-cgi/retrieve.pl?doc=fsalert/55760",
      "source": "cve@mitre.org"
    },
    {
      "url": "http://www.iss.net/security_center/static/11254.php",
      "tags": [
        "Vendor Advisory"
      ],
      "source": "cve@mitre.org"
    },
    {
      "url": "http://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/911505",
      "tags": [
        "Third Party Advisory",
        "US Government Resource"
      ],
      "source": "cve@mitre.org"
    },
    {
      "url": "http://www.mandrakesoft.com/security/advisories?name=MDKSA-2003:017",
      "source": "cve@mitre.org"
    },
    {
      "url": "http://www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHSA-2003-028.html",
      "source": "cve@mitre.org"
    },
    {
      "url": "http://www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHSA-2003-035.html",
      "source": "cve@mitre.org"
    },
    {
      "url": "http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/6753",
      "source": "cve@mitre.org"
    },
    {
      "url": "http://distro.conectiva.com.br/atualizacoes/?id=a&anuncio=000693",
      "source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
    },
    {
      "url": "http://marc.info/?l=bugtraq&m=104431622818954&w=2",
      "source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
    },
    {
      "url": "http://sunsolve.sun.com/pub-cgi/retrieve.pl?doc=fsalert/55760",
      "source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
    },
    {
      "url": "http://www.iss.net/security_center/static/11254.php",
      "tags": [
        "Vendor Advisory"
      ],
      "source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
    },
    {
      "url": "http://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/911505",
      "tags": [
        "Third Party Advisory",
        "US Government Resource"
      ],
      "source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
    },
    {
      "url": "http://www.mandrakesoft.com/security/advisories?name=MDKSA-2003:017",
      "source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
    },
    {
      "url": "http://www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHSA-2003-028.html",
      "source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
    },
    {
      "url": "http://www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHSA-2003-035.html",
      "source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
    },
    {
      "url": "http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/6753",
      "source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
    }
  ],
  "vulnStatus": "Modified",
  "weaknesses": [
    {
      "type": "Primary",
      "source": "nvd@nist.gov",
      "description": [
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "value": "NVD-CWE-Other"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "descriptions": [
    {
      "lang": "en",
      "value": "The default configuration of the pam_xauth module forwards MIT-Magic-Cookies to new X sessions, which could allow local users to gain root privileges by stealing the cookies from a temporary .xauth file, which is created with the original user's credentials after root uses su."
    },
    {
      "lang": "es",
      "value": "La configuración por defecto de pam_xauth en Red Hat Linux 7.1 a 8.0 envia MIT-Magic-Cookies a sesiones X nuevas, lo que podría permitir a usuarios locales ganar privilegios de root robando las cookies de un fichero .xauth temporal, que es creado con los credenciales del usuario original despues de que root use el comando su"
    }
  ],
  "lastModified": "2026-06-16T21:58:51.600",
  "configurations": [
    {
      "nodes": [
        {
          "negate": false,
          "cpeMatch": [
            {
              "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:redhat:linux:7.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
              "vulnerable": true,
              "matchCriteriaId": "1D46E093-1C68-43BB-B281-12117EC8DE0F"
            },
            {
              "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:redhat:linux:7.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
              "vulnerable": true,
              "matchCriteriaId": "E562907F-D915-4030-847A-3C6834A80D4E"
            },
            {
              "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:redhat:linux:7.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
              "vulnerable": true,
              "matchCriteriaId": "138985E6-5107-4E8B-A801-C3D5FE075227"
            },
            {
              "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:redhat:linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
              "vulnerable": true,
              "matchCriteriaId": "038FEDE7-986F-4CA5-9003-BA68352B87D4"
            }
          ],
          "operator": "OR"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sourceIdentifier": "cve@mitre.org"
}