# CVE-2004-1051: Privilege escalation in n/a

> Local attackers can escalate privileges to root by exploiting environment variable function shadowing in sudo scripts.

- **Severity:** High 7.2 (`AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 18 Nov 2004
- **Updated:** 8 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2004-1051, DSA-596-2, GHSA-792w-v225-x939

## What is CVE-2004-1051?

CVE-2004-1051 is a high-severity vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 18 Nov 2004. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

sudo before 1.6.8p2 allows local users to execute arbitrary commands by using "()" style environment variables to create functions that have the same name as any program within the bash script that is called without using the program's full pathname.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2004-1051?

It affects 7 products.


Products: Debian Debian Linux, Mandrakesoft Mandrake Linux, Mandrakesoft Mandrake Linux Corporate Server, Mandrakesoft Mandrake Multi Network Firewall, Todd Miller Sudo, Trustix Secure Linux, Ubuntu Ubuntu Linux.

## How do I fix CVE-2004-1051?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2004-1051 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2004-1051 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Debian Debian Linux

- [CVE-2015-3306](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-3306/): ProFTPD Improper Access Control (critical 10.0, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-49113](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-49113/): RoundCube Webmail Deserialization of Untrusted Data (critical 9.9, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-24061](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-24061/): GNU InetUtils Argument Injection (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-39682](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-39682/): Linux Kernel Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-9680](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-9680/): Mozilla Firefox Use-After-Free (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2004-1051 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2004-1051 is a high-severity vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 18 Nov 2004. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2004-1051 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Debian Debian Linux. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2004-1051/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2004-1051/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2004-1051
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2004-1051
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2004-1051

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2004-1051/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.