PolicyKit 0.103 sets the AdminIdentities to "wheel" by default, which allows local users…
Priority LOW 30CWE-264Published · Updated
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- — Not recorded in CVSS 2.0
- Attack complexity
- Medium
- Impact type
- Security bypass
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- Complete · Complete · Complete
- Fix status
- No fix listed
Attack profile from CVSS 2.0 · NVD. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-264.
Summary
PolicyKit 0.103 sets the AdminIdentities to "wheel" by default, which allows local users in the wheel group to gain root privileges without authentication.
Why it matters now
EPSS 0.00352 29th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix No fix listed No fixed version in the sources yet
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | all versions | — | No fix listed | CNA |
- — Vendor— Affected all versions Fixed in — No fix listed CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 1
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:a:michael_biebl:policykit:0.103:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 0.103 | Vulnerable | Michael Biebl |
- cpe:2.3:a:michael_biebl:policykit:0.103:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 0.103 Vulnerable ·Michael Biebl
Remediation
No fixed version listed by the sources yet.
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Important. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
Not affected: 1 product
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2011-4945
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-7wrh-wgmh-6x48
References
Advisory 1
Other 7
- [oss-security] 20120327 Re: CVE Request: PolicyKit change allows users in "wheel" group to become root without a password
- https://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=401513
- http://patch-tracker.debian.org/patch/series/view/policykit-1/0.104-2/05_revert-admin-identities-unix-group-wheel.patch
- https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/policykit-1/0.103-1
- [polkit-devel] 20111206 polkit 0.103
- http://cgit.freedesktop.org/PolicyKit/commit/?id=763faf434b445c20ae9529100d3ef5290976d0c9
- [oss-security] 20120327 CVE Request: PolicyKit change allows users in "wheel" group to become root without a password
Sources
- CVE-2011-4945 · CVE Program
- CVE-2011-4945 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-7wrh-wgmh-6x48 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2011-4945 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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