CVE-2018-17953
pam_access does not handle netmask matches correctly
A incorrect variable in a SUSE specific patch for pam_access rule matching in PAM 1.3.0 in openSUSE Leap 15.0 and SUSE Linux Enterprise 15 could lead to pam_access rules not being applied (fail open).
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- None
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
pam_access does not handle netmask matches correctly
A incorrect variable in a SUSE specific patch for pam_access rule matching in PAM 1.3.0 in openSUSE Leap 15.0 and SUSE Linux Enterprise 15 could lead to pam_access rules not being applied (fail open).
- Record
CVE-2018-17953- CVSS 3.0
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-284
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2018-9694
A incorrect variable in a SUSE specific patch for pam_access rule matching in PAM 1.3.0 in openSUSE Leap 15.0 and SUSE Linux Enterprise 15 could lead to pam_access rules not being applied (fail open).
- Record
EUVD-2018-9694- CVSS 3.0
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-wwc4-7rwv-m5ch
A incorrect variable in a SUSE specific patch for pam_access rule matching in PAM 1.3.0 in...
A incorrect variable in a SUSE specific patch for pam_access rule matching in PAM 1.3.0 in openSUSE Leap 15.0 and SUSE Linux Enterprise 15 could lead to pam_access rules not being applied (fail open).
- Record
GHSA-wwc4-7rwv-m5ch- CVSS 3.0
- 8.1 High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
A incorrect variable in a SUSE specific patch for pam_access rule matching in PAM 1.3.0 in openSUSE Leap 15.0 and SUSE Linux Enterprise 15 could lead to pam_access rules not being applied (fail open).
- Record
CVE-2018-17953- CVSS 3.0
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N - CVSS 3.0
- 8.1 High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - CVSS 2.0
- 9.3 High
AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C - Weakness
- CWE-284
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVopenSUSE-SU-2024:11140-1 No score
pam-1.5.2-1.1 on GA media
These are all security issues fixed in the pam-1.5.2-1.1 package on the GA media of openSUSE Tumbleweed.
- Record
openSUSE-SU-2024:11140-1- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVSUSE-SU-2018:3965-1 No score
Security update for pam
This update for pam fixes the following issue:
Security issue fixed:
- CVE-2018-17953: Fixed IP address and subnet handling of pam_access.so that was not honoured correctly when a single host was specified (bsc#1115640).
- Record
SUSE-SU-2018:3965-1- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| affected, facts | ||
| aliases | EUVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2018-17953 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 7.5) in Suse Pam, published November 27, 2018. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 1.34%, the 71st percentile. Fixed in pam 1.3.0-6.6.1.