# CVE-2011-3148: Memory corruption in n/a

> Local attackers can trigger a stack-based buffer overflow in the pam_env module via a crafted environment file, potentially leading to code execution or system crashes.

- **Severity:** Medium 4.6 (`AV:L/AC:L/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:** 22 Jul 2012
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2011-3148, GHSA-gh7c-55pq-pm8c

## What is CVE-2011-3148?

CVE-2011-3148 is a medium-severity memory corruption vulnerability in n/a, published on 22 Jul 2012. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Stack-based buffer overflow in the _assemble_line function in modules/pam_env/pam_env.c in Linux-PAM (aka pam) before 1.1.5 allows local users to cause a denial of service (crash) and possibly execute arbitrary code via a long string of white spaces at the beginning of the ~/.pam_environment file.

Weakness: CWE-119 (Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2011-3148?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux-Pam Linux-Pam.

## How do I fix CVE-2011-3148?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2011-3148 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2011-3148 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2022-28321](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-28321/): Auth bypass in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2020-27780](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-27780/): Auth bypass in pam (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2010-4708](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-4708/): Privilege escalation in n/a (high 7.2)
- [CVE-2010-3853](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-3853/): Privilege escalation in n/a (medium 6.9)
- [CVE-2009-0887](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-0887/): Integer overflow in n/a (medium 6.6)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2011-3148 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2011-3148 is a medium-severity memory corruption vulnerability in n/a, published on 22 Jul 2012. 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-2011-3148 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-2011-3148/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2011-3148/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2011-3148
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2011-3148
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2011-3148

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2011-3148/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.