# CVE-2015-3238: Information disclosure in n/a > Local attackers can enumerate usernames or cause a denial of service in Linux-PAM when direct password access is unavailable. - **Severity:** Medium 6.5 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:L`) - **Exploited in the wild:** Not known - **Login needed:** Not needed - **Attackable:** Over the internet - **Victim action needed:** Not needed - **Fix available:** Yes - **Published:** 24 Aug 2015 - **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024 - **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2015-3238, GHSA-6r75-hhm5-f689, MGASA-2015-0266, RHSA-2015:1640, SUSE-SU-2017:1398-1, UBUNTU-CVE-2015-3238 ## What is CVE-2015-3238? CVE-2015-3238 is a medium-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 24 Aug 2015. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim. ### Official description The _unix_run_helper_binary function in the pam_unix module in Linux-PAM (aka pam) before 1.2.1, when unable to directly access passwords, allows local users to enumerate usernames or cause a denial of service (hang) via a large password. Weakness: CWE-200 (Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor) ## Which versions are affected by CVE-2015-3238? It affects 2 products. | Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | `pam` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | All versions | 0:1.1.1-20.el6_7.1 | | `pam-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | All versions | 0:1.1.1-20.el6_7.1 | | `pam-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | All versions | 0:1.1.1-20.el6_7.1 | | `pam` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::computenode | All versions | 0:1.1.1-20.el6_7.1 | | `pam-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::computenode | All versions | 0:1.1.1-20.el6_7.1 | | `pam-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::computenode | All versions | 0:1.1.1-20.el6_7.1 | | `pam` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | All versions | 0:1.1.1-20.el6_7.1 | | `pam-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | All versions | 0:1.1.1-20.el6_7.1 | | `pam-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | All versions | 0:1.1.1-20.el6_7.1 | | `pam` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::workstation | All versions | 0:1.1.1-20.el6_7.1 | | `pam-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::workstation | All versions | 0:1.1.1-20.el6_7.1 | | `pam-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::workstation | All versions | 0:1.1.1-20.el6_7.1 | | `pam` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | All versions | 0:1.1.8-12.el7_1.1 | | `pam-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | All versions | 0:1.1.8-12.el7_1.1 | | `pam-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | All versions | 0:1.1.8-12.el7_1.1 | | `pam` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::computenode | All versions | 0:1.1.8-12.el7_1.1 | | `pam-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::computenode | All versions | 0:1.1.8-12.el7_1.1 | | `pam-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::computenode | All versions | 0:1.1.8-12.el7_1.1 | | `pam` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server | All versions | 0:1.1.8-12.ael7b_1.1 | | `pam-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server | All versions | 0:1.1.8-12.ael7b_1.1 | | `pam-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server | All versions | 0:1.1.8-12.ael7b_1.1 | | `pam` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::workstation | All versions | 0:1.1.8-12.el7_1.1 | | `pam-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::workstation | All versions | 0:1.1.8-12.el7_1.1 | | `pam-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::workstation | All versions | 0:1.1.8-12.el7_1.1 | | `pam` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 SP1 | All versions | 1.1.8-23.1 | | `pam` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 SP2 | All versions | 1.1.8-23.1 | | `pam` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP1 | All versions | 1.1.8-23.1 | | `pam` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP2 | All versions | 1.1.8-23.1 | | `pam` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for Raspberry Pi 12 SP2 | All versions | 1.1.8-23.1 | | `pam` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP1 | All versions | 1.1.8-23.1 | | `pam` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP2 | All versions | 1.1.8-23.1 | | `pam` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 12 SP1 | All versions | 1.1.8-23.1 | | `pam` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 12 SP2 | All versions | 1.1.8-23.1 | Products: Linux-Pam Linux-Pam, Oracle Sparc-Opl Service Processor. ## How do I fix CVE-2015-3238? Upgrade to a fixed version. ## Is CVE-2015-3238 being exploited? There is no known exploitation of CVE-2015-3238 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-2015-3238 and fix it if it is affected. What it is: CVE-2015-3238 is a medium-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 24 Aug 2015. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim. Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2015-3238 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-2015-3238/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-3238/index.md) ``` ## Sources - CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2015-3238 - NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2015-3238 - OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2015-3238 --- From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-3238/ Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.