# CVE-2013-4235: Race condition in shadow > A race condition in shadow utilities allows local attackers to escalate privileges by exploiting time-of-check time-of-use flaws during directory operations. - **Severity:** Medium 4.7 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N`) - **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:** 3 Dec 2019 - **Updated:** 14 Oct 2026 - **Also known as:** CLSA-2022-1670260858, DEBIAN-CVE-2013-4235, GHSA-2q3w-h8mm-q9v3, MGASA-2022-0455, OESA-2023-1828, OESA-2023-1849, OESA-2023-1850, OESA-2023-1851, OESA-2023-1852, SUSE-SU-2024:2603-1, SUSE-SU-2024:2630-1, SUSE-SU-2024:2648-1, SUSE-SU-2024:2657-1, SUSE-SU-2024:2658-1, SUSE-SU-2024:2659-1, SUSE-SU-2024:2804-1, SUSE-SU-2024:2805-1, SUSE-SU-2024:2806-1, SUSE-SU-2024:2807-1, SUSE-SU-2024:2808-1, SUSE-SU-2024:2809-1, SUSE-SU-2025:0292-1, UBUNTU-CVE-2013-4235, USN-5745-1, USN-5745-2, openSUSE-SU-2024:11749-1 ## What is CVE-2013-4235? CVE-2013-4235 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 3 Dec 2019. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim. ### Official description shadow: TOCTOU (time-of-check time-of-use) race condition when copying and removing directory trees Weakness: CWE-367 (Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition) ## Which versions are affected by CVE-2013-4235? It affects 4 products. | Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | `shadow` | SUSE:Enterprise Storage 7.1 | All versions | 4.8.1-150300.4.15.1 | | `shadow` | SUSE:Enterprise Storage 7.1 | All versions | 4.8.1-150300.4.18.1 | | `shadow` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP3-LTSS | All versions | 4.8.1-150300.4.15.1 | | `shadow` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP3-LTSS | All versions | 4.8.1-150300.4.18.1 | | `shadow` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP4-ESPOS | All versions | 4.8.1-150400.10.18.1 | | `shadow` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP4-LTSS | All versions | 4.8.1-150400.10.18.1 | | `shadow` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Micro 5.1 | All versions | 4.8.1-150300.4.15.1 | | `shadow` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Micro 5.1 | All versions | 4.8.1-150300.4.18.1 | | `shadow` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Micro 5.2 | All versions | 4.8.1-150300.4.15.1 | | `shadow` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Micro 5.2 | All versions | 4.8.1-150300.4.18.1 | | `shadow` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Micro 5.3 | All versions | 4.8.1-150400.10.18.1 | | `shadow` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Micro 5.3 | All versions | 4.8.1-150400.10.21.1 | | `shadow` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Micro 5.4 | All versions | 4.8.1-150400.3.12.1 | | `shadow` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Micro 5.4 | All versions | 4.8.1-150400.3.9.1 | | `shadow` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Micro 5.5 | All versions | 4.8.1-150500.3.6.1 | | `shadow` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Micro 5.5 | All versions | 4.8.1-150500.3.9.1 | | `shadow` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP5 | All versions | 4.8.1-150400.10.18.1 | | `shadow` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP5 | All versions | 4.8.1-150400.10.21.1 | | `shadow` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP6 | All versions | 4.8.1-150600.17.3.1 | | `shadow` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP6 | All versions | 4.8.1-150600.17.6.1 | | `shadow` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP5 | All versions | 4.2.1-36.12.1 | | `shadow` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP5 | All versions | 4.2.1-36.15.1 | | `shadow` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP3-LTSS | All versions | 4.8.1-150300.4.15.1 | | `shadow` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP3-LTSS | All versions | 4.8.1-150300.4.18.1 | | `shadow` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP4-LTSS | All versions | 4.8.1-150400.10.18.1 | | `shadow` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP5 | All versions | 4.2.1-36.12.1 | | `shadow` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP5 | All versions | 4.2.1-36.15.1 | | `shadow` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP3 | All versions | 4.8.1-150300.4.15.1 | | `shadow` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP3 | All versions | 4.8.1-150300.4.18.1 | | `shadow` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP4 | All versions | 4.8.1-150400.10.18.1 | | `shadow` | SUSE:Manager Proxy 4.3 | All versions | 4.8.1-150400.10.18.1 | | `shadow` | SUSE:Manager Server 4.3 | All versions | 4.8.1-150400.10.18.1 | | `shadow` | openSUSE:Leap 15.5 | All versions | 4.8.1-150400.10.18.1 | | `shadow` | openSUSE:Leap 15.5 | All versions | 4.8.1-150400.10.21.1 | | `shadow` | openSUSE:Leap 15.6 | All versions | 4.8.1-150600.17.3.1 | | `shadow` | openSUSE:Leap 15.6 | All versions | 4.8.1-150600.17.6.1 | | `shadow` | openSUSE:Leap Micro 5.5 | All versions | 4.8.1-150500.3.6.1 | | `shadow` | openSUSE:Leap Micro 5.5 | All versions | 4.8.1-150500.3.9.1 | | `shadow` | openSUSE:Tumbleweed | All versions | 4.11.1-1.1 | Products: Debian Debian Linux, Debian Shadow, Fedoraproject Fedora, Redhat Enterprise Linux. ## How do I fix CVE-2013-4235? Apply the vendor's patch. ## Is CVE-2013-4235 being exploited? There is no known exploitation of CVE-2013-4235 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-2013-4235 and fix it if it is affected. What it is: CVE-2013-4235 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 3 Dec 2019. 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-2013-4235 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-2013-4235/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-4235/index.md) ``` ## Sources - CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2013-4235 - NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2013-4235 - OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2013-4235 --- From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-4235/ Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.