# CVE-2011-0010: Auth bypass in n/a

> Local attackers can bypass password authentication in sudo when changing group IDs, potentially escalating privileges if Runas groups are configured.

- **Severity:** Medium 4.4 (`AV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P`)
- **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 Jan 2011
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2011-0010, GHSA-mxvj-5g45-2vv5, RHSA-2011:0599, RHSA-2012:0309

## What is CVE-2011-0010?

CVE-2011-0010 is a medium-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in n/a, published on 18 Jan 2011. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

check.c in sudo 1.7.x before 1.7.4p5, when a Runas group is configured, does not require a password for command execution that involves a gid change but no uid change, which allows local users to bypass an intended authentication requirement via the -g option to a sudo command.

Weakness: CWE-264

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2011-0010?

It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `sudo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client | All versions | 0:1.7.2p1-13.el5 |
| `sudo-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client | All versions | 0:1.7.2p1-13.el5 |
| `sudo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::server | All versions | 0:1.7.2p1-13.el5 |
| `sudo-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::server | All versions | 0:1.7.2p1-13.el5 |
| `sudo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | All versions | 0:1.7.4p5-5.el6 |
| `sudo-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | All versions | 0:1.7.4p5-5.el6 |
| `sudo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::computenode | All versions | 0:1.7.4p5-5.el6 |
| `sudo-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::computenode | All versions | 0:1.7.4p5-5.el6 |
| `sudo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | All versions | 0:1.7.4p5-5.el6 |
| `sudo-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | All versions | 0:1.7.4p5-5.el6 |
| `sudo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::workstation | All versions | 0:1.7.4p5-5.el6 |
| `sudo-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::workstation | All versions | 0:1.7.4p5-5.el6 |

Products: Todd Miller Sudo.

## How do I fix CVE-2011-0010?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2011-0010 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2011-0010 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2005-1831](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2005-1831/): Privilege escalation in n/a (high 8.4)
- [CVE-2012-2337](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-2337/): Privilege escalation in n/a (high 7.2)
- [CVE-2012-0809](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-0809/): Memory corruption in n/a (high 7.2)
- [CVE-2006-0151](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2006-0151/): Privilege escalation in n/a (high 7.2)
- [CVE-2002-0043](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2002-0043/): Privilege escalation in n/a (high 7.2)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2011-0010 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2011-0010 is a medium-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in n/a, published on 18 Jan 2011. 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-2011-0010 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: n/a. 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-2011-0010/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2011-0010/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2011-0010
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2011-0010
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2011-0010

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2011-0010/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.