pam_usb: deny_remote feature incorrectly classifies IPv4-mapped IPv6 remote connections as local
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- High
- Impact type
- Security bypass
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · None
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-284.
Summary
pam_usb provides hardware authentication for Linux using ordinary removable media. Prior to 0.9.0, pam_usb's deny_remote feature checks utmpx ut_addr_v6 to detect whether an authentication request originates from a remote session. The outer guard was if (utent->ut_addr_v6[0] != 0), which only tests the first 32-bit word of the 128-bit address field. IPv4-mapped IPv6 addresses (::ffff:x.x.x.x) store the IPv4 address in ut_addr_v6[3] with ut_addr_v6[0] == 0. On systems where the SSH daemon listens on :: (IPv6 wildcard) with AddressFamily any -- common on Ubuntu and Debian -- incoming IPv4 connections are recorded in utmpx as IPv4-mapped IPv6 addresses. The outer check evaluates to false, the remote-detection block is skipped entirely, and the session is treated as local. deny_remote=true does not block the authentication. An attacker with physical access to a registered USB device can authenticate over SSH on an affected system as if they were sitting at a local terminal, bypassing the deny_remote restriction. This vulnerability is fixed in 0.9.0.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Total
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
Remediation
- Fix · CNA pam_usb (mcdope) Fixed in 0.9.0
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-47269
References
More mcdope vulnerabilities
- TI-2026-35505 pam_usb: PAM_RHOST check skipped when deny_remote=false allows XDMCP authentication bypass CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.1
- TI-2026-32598 pam_usb: Symlink attacks on pad directory and pad files enable authentication bypass and root file corruption CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.9
- TI-2026-32596 pam_usb: PINENTRY_FALLBACK_APP environment variable allows arbitrary command execution CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.8
- TI-2026-32600 pam_usb: Command injection via $TMUX environment variable leads to RCE as root CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2026-32599 pam_usb: Shell injection via device UUID and username in pamusb-conf and pamusb-agent CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.2
- TI-2026-34852 pam_usb: OTP pad authentication bypass via missing system pad check and uninitialized RNG buffer CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.1
Sources
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences