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CVE-2018-7169

An issue was discovered in shadow 4.5. newgidmap (in shadow-utils) is setuid and allows an...

5.3 MediumFix available

An issue was discovered in shadow 4.5. newgidmap (in shadow-utils) is setuid and allows an unprivileged user to be placed in a user namespace where setgroups(2) is permitted. This allows an attacker to remove themselves from a supplementary group, which may allow access to certain filesystem paths if the administrator has used "group blacklisting" (e.g., chmod g-rwx) to restrict access to paths. This flaw effectively reverts a security feature in the kernel (in particular, the /proc/self/setgroups knob) to prevent this sort of privilege escalation.

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
Low
Integrity
None
Availability
None

Exploit likelihood

1.57%Up 0.9 points since Apr 14, 2021
90%50%10%1%

What each source reports

NVD Score used 5.3

An issue was discovered in shadow 4.5. newgidmap (in shadow-utils) is setuid and allows an unprivileged user to be placed in a user namespace where setgroups(2) is permitted. This allows an attacker to remove themselves from a supplementary group, which may allow access to certain filesystem paths if the administrator has used "group blacklisting" (e.g., chmod g-rwx) to restrict access to paths. This flaw effectively reverts a security feature in the kernel (in particular, the /proc/self/setgroups knob) to prevent this sort of privilege escalation.

Record
CVE-2018-7169
CVSS 3.0
5.3 MediumCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
CVSS 2.0
5.0 MediumAV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N
Weakness
CWE-732
Updated
2026-11-02
CVE List No score

An issue was discovered in shadow 4.5. newgidmap (in shadow-utils) is setuid and allows an unprivileged user to be placed in a user namespace where setgroups(2) is permitted. This allows an attacker to remove themselves from a supplementary group, which may allow access to certain filesystem paths if the administrator has used "group blacklisting" (e.g., chmod g-rwx) to restrict access to paths. This flaw effectively reverts a security feature in the kernel (in particular, the /proc/self/setgroups knob) to prevent this sort of privilege escalation.

Record
CVE-2018-7169
Updated
2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2018-18911 No score

An issue was discovered in shadow 4.5. newgidmap (in shadow-utils) is setuid and allows an unprivileged user to be placed in a user namespace where setgroups(2) is permitted. This allows an attacker to remove themselves from a supplementary group, which may allow access to certain filesystem paths if the administrator has used "group blacklisting" (e.g., chmod g-rwx) to restrict access to paths. This flaw effectively reverts a security feature in the kernel (in particular, the /proc/self/setgroups knob) to prevent this sort of privilege escalation.

Record
EUVD-2018-18911
Updated
2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-m2px-jr9v-8hhp 5.3

An issue was discovered in shadow 4.5. newgidmap (in shadow-utils) is setuid and allows an...

An issue was discovered in shadow 4.5. newgidmap (in shadow-utils) is setuid and allows an unprivileged user to be placed in a user namespace where setgroups(2) is permitted. This allows an attacker to remove themselves from a supplementary group, which may allow access to certain filesystem paths if the administrator has used "group blacklisting" (e.g., chmod g-rwx) to restrict access to paths. This flaw effectively reverts a security feature in the kernel (in particular, the /proc/self/setgroups knob) to prevent this sort of privilege escalation.

Record
GHSA-m2px-jr9v-8hhp
CVSS 3.0
5.3 MediumCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
Weakness
CWE-732
Updated
2026-11-02
OSV 5.3

An issue was discovered in shadow 4.5. newgidmap (in shadow-utils) is setuid and allows an unprivileged user to be placed in a user namespace where setgroups(2) is permitted. This allows an attacker to remove themselves from a supplementary group, which may allow access to certain filesystem paths if the administrator has used "group blacklisting" (e.g., chmod g-rwx) to restrict access to paths. This flaw effectively reverts a security feature in the kernel (in particular, the /proc/self/setgroups knob) to prevent this sort of privilege escalation.

Record
CVE-2018-7169
CVSS 3.0
5.3 MediumCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVDEBIAN-CVE-2018-7169 5.3

An issue was discovered in shadow 4.5. newgidmap (in shadow-utils) is setuid and allows an unprivileged user to be placed in a user namespace where setgroups(2) is permitted. This allows an attacker to remove themselves from a supplementary group, which may allow access to certain filesystem paths if the administrator has used "group blacklisting" (e.g., chmod g-rwx) to restrict access to paths. This flaw effectively reverts a security feature in the kernel (in particular, the /proc/self/setgroups knob) to prevent this sort of privilege escalation.

Record
DEBIAN-CVE-2018-7169
CVSS 3.0
5.3 MediumCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
Updated
2026-11-02
Show 6 moreShow less
OSVUBUNTU-CVE-2018-7169 5.3

An issue was discovered in shadow 4.5. newgidmap (in shadow-utils) is setuid and allows an unprivileged user to be placed in a user namespace where setgroups(2) is permitted. This allows an attacker to remove themselves from a supplementary group, which may allow access to certain filesystem paths if the administrator has used "group blacklisting" (e.g., chmod g-rwx) to restrict access to paths. This flaw effectively reverts a security feature in the kernel (in particular, the /proc/self/setgroups knob) to prevent this sort of privilege escalation.

Record
UBUNTU-CVE-2018-7169
CVSS 3.0
5.3 MediumCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVCLSA-2022-1643637259 No score

Fix CVE(s): CVE-2017-12424, CVE-2018-7169

  • SECURITY UPDATE: Crash or buffer overflow
    • debian/patches/CVE-2017-12424.patch: fix buffer overflow if NULL line is present in db in lib/commonio.c.
    • CVE-2017-12424
  • SECURITY UPDATE: Access to privileged information
    • debian/patches/CVE-2018-7169.patch: newgidmap: enforce setgroups=deny if self-mapping a group in src/newgidmap.c.
    • CVE-2018-7169
Record
CLSA-2022-1643637259
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVMGASA-2018-0177 No score

Updated shadow-utils packages fix security vulnerability

Privilege escalation in newgidmap, which allowed an unprivileged user to be placed in a user namespace where setgroups(2) is allowed (CVE-2018-7169).

Record
MGASA-2018-0177
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVopenSUSE-SU-2024:11378-1 No score

libsubid-devel-4.9-1.1 on GA media

These are all security issues fixed in the libsubid-devel-4.9-1.1 package on the GA media of openSUSE Tumbleweed.

Record
openSUSE-SU-2024:11378-1
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVSUSE-SU-2018:0662-1 No score

Security update for shadow

This update for shadow fixes the following issues:

  • CVE-2018-7169: Fixed an privilege escalation in newgidmap, which allowed an unprivileged user to be placed in a user namespace where setgroups(2) is allowed. (bsc#1081294)
Record
SUSE-SU-2018:0662-1
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVUSN-5254-1 No score

shadow vulnerabilities

It was discovered that shadow incorrectly handled certain inputs. An attacker could possibly use this issue to cause a crash or expose sensitive information. This issue only affected Ubuntu 14.04 ESM and Ubuntu 16.04 ESM. (CVE-2017-12424)

It was discovered that shadow incorrectly handled certain inputs. An attacker could possibly use this issue to expose sensitive information. (CVE-2018-7169)

Record
USN-5254-1
Updated
2026-11-02

Affected products

Affected packages

Affected packages
PackageAffectedFixed
login
TuxCare:Ubuntu:16.04
before 1:4.2-3.1ubuntu5.5+tuxcare.els1
1:4.2-3.1ubuntu5.5+tuxcare.els1
passwd
TuxCare:Ubuntu:16.04
before 1:4.2-3.1ubuntu5.5+tuxcare.els1
1:4.2-3.1ubuntu5.5+tuxcare.els1
uidmap
TuxCare:Ubuntu:16.04
before 1:4.2-3.1ubuntu5.5+tuxcare.els1
1:4.2-3.1ubuntu5.5+tuxcare.els1
shadow
Debian:12
before 1:4.7-1
1:4.7-1
shadow
Debian:13
before 1:4.7-1
1:4.7-1
shadow
Debian:14
before 1:4.7-1
1:4.7-1
shadow-utils
Mageia:5
before 4.2.1-6.2.mga5
4.2.1-6.2.mga5
shadow-utils
Mageia:6
before 4.4-1.2.mga6
4.4-1.2.mga6
shadow
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 SP2
before 4.2.1-27.6.1
4.2.1-27.6.1
shadow
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 SP3
before 4.2.1-27.6.1
4.2.1-27.6.1
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Affected packages
PackageAffectedFixed
shadow
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for Raspberry Pi 12 SP2
before 4.2.1-27.6.1
4.2.1-27.6.1
shadow
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP2
before 4.2.1-27.6.1
4.2.1-27.6.1
shadow
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP2
before 4.2.1-27.6.1
4.2.1-27.6.1
shadow
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP3
before 4.2.1-27.6.1
4.2.1-27.6.1
shadow
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP3
before 4.2.1-27.6.1
4.2.1-27.6.1
shadow
Ubuntu:Pro:14.04:LTS
before 1:4.1.5.1-1ubuntu9.5+esm1, plus listed versions
1:4.1.5.1-1ubuntu61:4.1.5.1-1ubuntu71:4.1.5.1-1ubuntu81:4.1.5.1-1ubuntu91:4.1.5.1-1ubuntu9.11:4.1.5.1-1ubuntu9.21:4.1.5.1-1ubuntu9.41:4.1.5.1-1ubuntu9.5
1:4.1.5.1-1ubuntu9.5+esm1
shadow
Ubuntu:Pro:16.04:LTS
before 1:4.2-3.1ubuntu5.5+esm1, plus listed versions
1:4.1.5.1-1.1ubuntu71:4.2-3.1ubuntu11:4.2-3.1ubuntu21:4.2-3.1ubuntu31:4.2-3.1ubuntu4
Show 4 moreShow less
1:4.2-3.1ubuntu51:4.2-3.1ubuntu5.21:4.2-3.1ubuntu5.31:4.2-3.1ubuntu5.4
1:4.2-3.1ubuntu5.5+esm1
shadow
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS
before 1:4.5-1ubuntu2.2, plus listed versions
1:4.2-3.2ubuntu41:4.5-1ubuntu11:4.5-1ubuntu2
1:4.5-1ubuntu2.2
shadow
openSUSE:Tumbleweed
before 4.9-1.1
4.9-1.1

History

History
RecordedChangedSources
aliasesEUVD
first indexedCVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV

Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.

In short

CVE-2018-7169 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 5.3) in Shadow Project Shadow, published February 15, 2018. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 1.57%, the 75th percentile. Fixed in login 1:4.2-3.1ubuntu5.5+tuxcare.els1.

References

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