Missing authentication in xscreensaver
Priority LOW 35CWE-306Published · Updated
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Security bypass
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-306.
Summary
xscreensaver before 5.14 crashes during activation and leaves the screen unlocked when in Blank Only Mode and when DPMS is disabled, which allows local attackers to access resources without authentication.
Why it matters now
EPSS 0.00482 41st percentileScored 2026-11-07
Public exploit Yes 2 exploit referencesTagged by NVD
Fix Fixed xscreensaver (xscreensaver): 5.14
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| xscreensaver | xscreensaver | before 5.14 | 5.14 | Patch available | CNA |
- xscreensaver Vendorxscreensaver Affected before 5.14 Fixed in 5.14 Patch available CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 4
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:a:xscreensaver_project:xscreensaver:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | before 5.14 | Vulnerable | Xscreensaver Project |
| cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 8.0 | Vulnerable | Debian |
| cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 9.0 | Vulnerable | Debian |
| cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:10.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 10.0 | Vulnerable | Debian |
- cpe:2.3:a:xscreensaver_project:xscreensaver:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions before 5.14 Vulnerable ·Xscreensaver Project
- cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 8.0 Vulnerable ·Debian
- cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 9.0 Vulnerable ·Debian
- cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:10.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 10.0 Vulnerable ·Debian
Remediation
- Fix · CNA xscreensaver (xscreensaver) Fixed in 5.14
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
Not affected: 1 product
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2011-2187
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-p786-96f8-68ff
References
Exploit 2
More xscreensaver vulnerabilities
- TI-2003-00813 Xscreensaver 4.14 contains certain debugging code that should have been omitted, which… CVSS 2.0MEDIUM 6.4
- TI-2004-02525 rdesktop 1.3.1 with xscreensaver 4.14, and possibly other versions, when running on… CVSS 2.0MEDIUM 5.4
- TI-2007-05369 xscreensaver 5.03 and earlier, when running without xscreensaver-gl-extras (GL extras)… CVSS 2.0MEDIUM 5.0
- TI-2007-01782 XScreenSaver 4.10, when using a remote directory service for credentials, does not… CVSS 2.0MEDIUM 4.6
- TI-2003-01194 Xscreensaver before 4.15 creates temporary files insecurely in (1)… CVSS 2.0LOW 2.1
Sources
- CVE-2011-2187 · CVE Program
- CVE-2011-2187 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-p786-96f8-68ff · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2011-2187 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences