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pam — security advisory

Type: advisorySources: OSVAdvisory ID: DEBIAN-CVE-2010-3435

The (1) pam_env and (2) pam_mail modules in Linux-PAM (aka pam) before 1.1.2 use root privileges during read access to files and directories that belong to arbitrary user accounts, which might allow local users to obtain sensitive information by leveraging this filesystem activity, as demonstrated by a symlink attack on the .pam_environment file in a user's home directory.

Products
pam
Affected versions
Not specified
Fixed versions
1.1.3-1
CVEs
CVE-2010-3435
Confirmed fixed CVEs
Not specified
Updated in this feed
31 Oct 2026, 23:47 UTC · Revision 1

Source evidence

DEBIAN-CVE-2010-3435

core-osv · Original source

Published 24 Jan 2011, 18:00 UTC

The (1) pam_env and (2) pam_mail modules in Linux-PAM (aka pam) before 1.1.2 use root privileges during read access to files and directories that belong to arbitrary user accounts, which might allow local users to obtain sensitive information by leveraging this filesystem activity, as demonstrated by a symlink attack on the .pam_environment file in a user's home directory.

osv:DEBIAN-CVE-2010-3435

pam

Fixed versions: 1.1.3-1

pam

Fixed versions: 1.1.3-1

pam

Fixed versions: 1.1.3-1

Complete source record
{
  "id": "f4b1cbff636b18debc9f74b1f65457cef190c4bec25b4ae2d565758bfe233bdd",
  "url": "https://osv.dev/vulnerability/DEBIAN-CVE-2010-3435",
  "method": "structured",
  "payload": {
    "kind": "advisory",
    "title": "DEBIAN-CVE-2010-3435",
    "summary": "The (1) pam_env and (2) pam_mail modules in Linux-PAM (aka pam) before 1.1.2 use root privileges during read access to files and directories that belong to arbitrary user accounts, which might allow local users to obtain sensitive information by leveraging this filesystem activity, as demonstrated by a symlink attack on the .pam_environment file in a user's home directory.",
    "evidence": "osv:DEBIAN-CVE-2010-3435",
    "products": [
      {
        "name": {
          "value": "pam",
          "evidence": "/affected/0/package/name"
        },
        "prerequisites": [],
        "fixed_versions": [
          {
            "value": "1.1.3-1",
            "evidence": "/affected/0/ranges"
          }
        ],
        "affected_versions": []
      },
      {
        "name": {
          "value": "pam",
          "evidence": "/affected/1/package/name"
        },
        "prerequisites": [],
        "fixed_versions": [
          {
            "value": "1.1.3-1",
            "evidence": "/affected/1/ranges"
          }
        ],
        "affected_versions": []
      },
      {
        "name": {
          "value": "pam",
          "evidence": "/affected/2/package/name"
        },
        "prerequisites": [],
        "fixed_versions": [
          {
            "value": "1.1.3-1",
            "evidence": "/affected/2/ranges"
          }
        ],
        "affected_versions": []
      }
    ],
    "severity": "unknown",
    "structured": {
      "id": "DEBIAN-CVE-2010-3435",
      "aliases": [
        "DEBIAN-CVE-2010-3435"
      ],
      "affected": [
        {
          "ranges": [
            {
              "type": "ECOSYSTEM",
              "events": [
                {
                  "introduced": "0"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "1.1.3-1"
                }
              ]
            }
          ],
          "package": {
            "name": "pam",
            "purl": "pkg:deb/debian/pam?arch=source&distro=bookworm",
            "ecosystem": "Debian:12"
          },
          "database_specific": {
            "source": "https://storage.googleapis.com/debian-osv/debian-cve-osv/DEBIAN-CVE-2010-3435.json"
          },
          "ecosystem_specific": {
            "urgency": "low"
          }
        },
        {
          "ranges": [
            {
              "type": "ECOSYSTEM",
              "events": [
                {
                  "introduced": "0"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "1.1.3-1"
                }
              ]
            }
          ],
          "package": {
            "name": "pam",
            "purl": "pkg:deb/debian/pam?arch=source&distro=trixie",
            "ecosystem": "Debian:13"
          },
          "database_specific": {
            "source": "https://storage.googleapis.com/debian-osv/debian-cve-osv/DEBIAN-CVE-2010-3435.json"
          },
          "ecosystem_specific": {
            "urgency": "low"
          }
        },
        {
          "ranges": [
            {
              "type": "ECOSYSTEM",
              "events": [
                {
                  "introduced": "0"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "1.1.3-1"
                }
              ]
            }
          ],
          "package": {
            "name": "pam",
            "purl": "pkg:deb/debian/pam?arch=source&distro=forky",
            "ecosystem": "Debian:14"
          },
          "database_specific": {
            "source": "https://storage.googleapis.com/debian-osv/debian-cve-osv/DEBIAN-CVE-2010-3435.json"
          },
          "ecosystem_specific": {
            "urgency": "low"
          }
        }
      ],
      "modified": "2026-10-23T17:47:51.509967879Z",
      "provider": "osv",
      "upstream": [
        "CVE-2010-3435"
      ],
      "references": [
        "https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2010-3435"
      ]
    },
    "related_cves": [
      {
        "value": "CVE-2010-3435",
        "evidence": "/upstream"
      }
    ],
    "security_relevant": true,
    "severity_evidence": null
  },
  "source_id": "core-osv",
  "document_id": 419328,
  "published_at": "2011-01-24T18:00:02.033+00:00"
}