pam_usb: strtok() race condition in multi-threaded PAM hosts can corrupt deny_remote result
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- High
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · None
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA.
Summary
pam_usb provides hardware authentication for Linux using ordinary removable media. Prior to 0.9.0, pam_usb is a PAM module loaded into the host process (sudo, login, GDM, GNOME Shell). Display managers such as GDM run multiple concurrent authentication threads. Three functions used by the deny_remote feature called the non-reentrant strtok(), which stores state in a single global pointer. If two authentications race, one thread's strtok() call can overwrite the other's in-progress tokenisation pointer, causing incorrect parsing of the tmux session data or the /proc environ scan that backs the remote-session detection logic. Additionally, pusb_tmux_get_client_tty() passed the raw pointer returned by getenv(TMUX) directly to strtok(). getenv() returns a pointer into the live process environment block; strtok() inserts NUL bytes into that block, permanently corrupting the TMUX variable for subsequent code running in the same process. In long-lived display managers this affects all future authentications in that process. The combined effect can cause deny_remote=true to return an incorrect decision for a remote session, or an incorrect decision for a local session, depending on thread interleaving. 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-2026-47270
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-2026-34849 pam_usb: deny_remote feature incorrectly classifies IPv4-mapped IPv6 remote connections as local CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.4
Sources
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences