CVE-2015-3170
selinux-policy when sysctl fs.protected_hardlinks are set to 0 allows local users to cause a...
selinux-policy when sysctl fs.protected_hardlinks are set to 0 allows local users to cause a denial of service (SSH login prevention) by creating a hardlink to /etc/passwd from a directory named .config, and updating selinux-policy.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- Low
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
NVD Score used
5.5
selinux-policy when sysctl fs.protected_hardlinks are set to 0 allows local users to cause a denial of service (SSH login prevention) by creating a hardlink to /etc/passwd from a directory named .config, and updating selinux-policy.
- Record
CVE-2015-3170- CVSS 3.0
- 5.5 Medium
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H - CVSS 2.0
- 2.1 Low
AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P - Weakness
- CWE-254
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
CVE List No score
selinux-policy when sysctl fs.protected_hardlinks are set to 0 allows local users to cause a denial of service (SSH login prevention) by creating a hardlink to /etc/passwd from a directory named .config, and updating selinux-policy.
- Record
CVE-2015-3170- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2015-3248 No score
selinux-policy when sysctl fs.protected_hardlinks are set to 0 allows local users to cause a denial of service (SSH login prevention) by creating a hardlink to /etc/passwd from a directory named .config, and updating selinux-policy.
- Record
EUVD-2015-3248- Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-m2mw-q7pj-g3wv
5.5
selinux-policy when sysctl fs.protected_hardlinks are set to 0 allows local users to cause a...
selinux-policy when sysctl fs.protected_hardlinks are set to 0 allows local users to cause a denial of service (SSH login prevention) by creating a hardlink to /etc/passwd from a directory named .config, and updating selinux-policy.
- Record
GHSA-m2mw-q7pj-g3wv- CVSS 3.0
- 5.5 Medium
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| aliases | EUVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2015-3170 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 5.5) in Selinux Project Selinux, published July 21, 2017. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.27%, the 19th percentile. No source names a fixed version.