shadow — security advisory

{
  "id": "8ab72df21c25d0aae98add33ae4fd3783c60ef3dddd335bee62820fe5cfbe13d",
  "url": "https://osv.dev/vulnerability/DEBIAN-CVE-2023-29383",
  "method": "structured",
  "payload": {
    "kind": "advisory",
    "title": "DEBIAN-CVE-2023-29383",
    "summary": "In Shadow 4.13, it is possible to inject control characters into fields provided to the SUID program chfn (change finger). Although it is not possible to exploit this directly (e.g., adding a new user fails because \\n is in the block list), it is possible to misrepresent the /etc/passwd file when viewed. Use of \\r manipulations and Unicode characters to work around blocking of the : character make it possible to give the impression that a new user has been added. In other words, an adversary may be able to convince a system administrator to take the system offline (an indirect, social-engineered denial of service) by demonstrating that \"cat /etc/passwd\" shows a rogue user account.",
    "evidence": "osv:DEBIAN-CVE-2023-29383",
    "products": [
      {
        "name": {
          "value": "shadow",
          "evidence": "/affected/0/package/name"
        },
        "prerequisites": [],
        "fixed_versions": [
          {
            "value": "1:4.13+dfsg1-1+deb12u1",
            "evidence": "/affected/0/ranges"
          }
        ],
        "affected_versions": [
          {
            "value": "1:4.13+dfsg1-1",
            "evidence": "/affected/0/versions"
          }
        ]
      },
      {
        "name": {
          "value": "shadow",
          "evidence": "/affected/1/package/name"
        },
        "prerequisites": [],
        "fixed_versions": [
          {
            "value": "1:4.13+dfsg1-2",
            "evidence": "/affected/1/ranges"
          }
        ],
        "affected_versions": []
      },
      {
        "name": {
          "value": "shadow",
          "evidence": "/affected/2/package/name"
        },
        "prerequisites": [],
        "fixed_versions": [
          {
            "value": "1:4.13+dfsg1-2",
            "evidence": "/affected/2/ranges"
          }
        ],
        "affected_versions": []
      }
    ],
    "severity": "low",
    "structured": {
      "id": "DEBIAN-CVE-2023-29383",
      "aliases": [
        "DEBIAN-CVE-2023-29383"
      ],
      "metrics": [
        {
          "type": "CVSS_V3",
          "score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N"
        }
      ],
      "affected": [
        {
          "ranges": [
            {
              "type": "ECOSYSTEM",
              "events": [
                {
                  "introduced": "0"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "1:4.13+dfsg1-1+deb12u1"
                }
              ]
            }
          ],
          "package": {
            "name": "shadow",
            "purl": "pkg:deb/debian/shadow?arch=source&distro=bookworm",
            "ecosystem": "Debian:12"
          },
          "versions": [
            "1:4.13+dfsg1-1"
          ],
          "database_specific": {
            "source": "https://storage.googleapis.com/debian-osv/debian-cve-osv/DEBIAN-CVE-2023-29383.json"
          },
          "ecosystem_specific": {
            "urgency": "not yet assigned"
          }
        },
        {
          "ranges": [
            {
              "type": "ECOSYSTEM",
              "events": [
                {
                  "introduced": "0"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "1:4.13+dfsg1-2"
                }
              ]
            }
          ],
          "package": {
            "name": "shadow",
            "purl": "pkg:deb/debian/shadow?arch=source&distro=trixie",
            "ecosystem": "Debian:13"
          },
          "database_specific": {
            "source": "https://storage.googleapis.com/debian-osv/debian-cve-osv/DEBIAN-CVE-2023-29383.json"
          },
          "ecosystem_specific": {
            "urgency": "not yet assigned"
          }
        },
        {
          "ranges": [
            {
              "type": "ECOSYSTEM",
              "events": [
                {
                  "introduced": "0"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "1:4.13+dfsg1-2"
                }
              ]
            }
          ],
          "package": {
            "name": "shadow",
            "purl": "pkg:deb/debian/shadow?arch=source&distro=forky",
            "ecosystem": "Debian:14"
          },
          "database_specific": {
            "source": "https://storage.googleapis.com/debian-osv/debian-cve-osv/DEBIAN-CVE-2023-29383.json"
          },
          "ecosystem_specific": {
            "urgency": "not yet assigned"
          }
        }
      ],
      "modified": "2026-10-26T18:00:55.314338775Z",
      "provider": "osv",
      "upstream": [
        "CVE-2023-29383"
      ],
      "references": [
        "https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2023-29383"
      ]
    },
    "related_cves": [
      {
        "value": "CVE-2023-29383",
        "evidence": "/upstream"
      }
    ],
    "security_relevant": true,
    "severity_evidence": "/severity/0/score"
  },
  "source_id": "core-osv",
  "document_id": 455317,
  "published_at": "2023-04-14T22:15:07.68+00:00"
}