A certain Red Hat script for sudo 1.7.2 on Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 5 allows local…
Priority LOW 26CWE-59Published · Updated
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- — Not recorded in CVSS 2.0
- Attack complexity
- High
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · Complete · Complete
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 2.0 · NVD. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.
Summary
A certain Red Hat script for sudo 1.7.2 on Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 5 allows local users to overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on the /var/tmp/nsswitch.conf.bak temporary file.
Why it matters now
EPSS 0.00435 38th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Public exploit Yes 1 exploit referenceTagged by NVD
Fix Fixed Red Hat: 1 advisory
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 · 2
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:a:todd_miller:sudo:1.7.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 1.7.2 | Vulnerable | Todd Miller |
| cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux:5:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 5 | Vulnerable | Red Hat |
- cpe:2.3:a:todd_miller:sudo:1.7.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 1.7.2 Vulnerable ·Todd Miller
- cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux:5:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 5 Vulnerable ·Red Hat
Remediation
Red Hat 1 advisory
- RHSA-2012:1149 Released 2012-08-07 · Red Hat rating Moderatesudo security and bug fix update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux (v. 5 server) sudo-1.7.2p1-14.el5_8.2, sudo-1.7.2p1-14.el5_8.2.i386, sudo-1.7.2p1-14.el5_8.2.ia64 +1
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Desktop (v. 5 client) sudo-1.7.2p1-14.el5_8.2, sudo-1.7.2p1-14.el5_8.2.i386
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux (v. 5 server) | Fixed | RHSA-2012:1149 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Desktop (v. 5 client) | Fixed | RHSA-2012:1149 |
Not affected: 2 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2012-3440
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-f2xg-m95q-882q
References
Sources
- CVE-2012-3440 · CVE Program
- CVE-2012-3440 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-f2xg-m95q-882q · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2012-3440 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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