# CVE-2015-7496: Security feature bypass in n/a

> Physically proximate attackers can bypass the GNOME lock screen by holding the Escape key, gaining unauthorized access to the desktop.

- **Severity:** High 7.2 (`AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 24 Nov 2015
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2015-7496, GHSA-qwh9-f2h4-mw38, MGASA-2017-0248, RHSA-2017:2128

## What is CVE-2015-7496?

CVE-2015-7496 is a high-severity vulnerability in Fedoraproject Fedora, published on 24 Nov 2015. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

GNOME Display Manager (gdm) before 3.18.2 allows physically proximate attackers to bypass the lock screen by holding the Escape key.

Weakness: CWE-264

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2015-7496?

It affects 2 products.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `gdm` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | All versions | 1:3.22.3-11.el7 |
| `gdm-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | All versions | 1:3.22.3-11.el7 |
| `gdm-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | All versions | 1:3.22.3-11.el7 |
| `gnome-session` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | All versions | 0:3.22.3-4.el7 |
| `gnome-session-custom-session` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | All versions | 0:3.22.3-4.el7 |
| `gnome-session-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | All versions | 0:3.22.3-4.el7 |
| `gnome-session-xsession` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | All versions | 0:3.22.3-4.el7 |
| `gdm` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::computenode | All versions | 1:3.22.3-11.el7 |
| `gdm-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::computenode | All versions | 1:3.22.3-11.el7 |
| `gdm-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::computenode | All versions | 1:3.22.3-11.el7 |
| `gnome-session` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::computenode | All versions | 0:3.22.3-4.el7 |
| `gnome-session-custom-session` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::computenode | All versions | 0:3.22.3-4.el7 |
| `gnome-session-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::computenode | All versions | 0:3.22.3-4.el7 |
| `gnome-session-xsession` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::computenode | All versions | 0:3.22.3-4.el7 |
| `gdm` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server | All versions | 1:3.22.3-11.el7 |
| `gdm-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server | All versions | 1:3.22.3-11.el7 |
| `gdm-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server | All versions | 1:3.22.3-11.el7 |
| `gnome-session` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server | All versions | 0:3.22.3-4.el7 |
| `gnome-session-custom-session` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server | All versions | 0:3.22.3-4.el7 |
| `gnome-session-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server | All versions | 0:3.22.3-4.el7 |
| `gnome-session-xsession` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server | All versions | 0:3.22.3-4.el7 |
| `gdm` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::workstation | All versions | 1:3.22.3-11.el7 |
| `gdm-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::workstation | All versions | 1:3.22.3-11.el7 |
| `gdm-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::workstation | All versions | 1:3.22.3-11.el7 |
| `gnome-session` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::workstation | All versions | 0:3.22.3-4.el7 |
| `gnome-session-custom-session` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::workstation | All versions | 0:3.22.3-4.el7 |
| `gnome-session-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::workstation | All versions | 0:3.22.3-4.el7 |
| `gnome-session-xsession` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::workstation | All versions | 0:3.22.3-4.el7 |

Products: Fedoraproject Fedora, Gnome Gnome Display Manager.

## How do I fix CVE-2015-7496?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2015-7496 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2015-7496 in the wild and no public exploit code.

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- [CVE-2019-5544](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-5544/): VMware ESXi and Horizon DaaS OpenSLP Heap-Based Buffer Overflow (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-4947](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-4947/): Google Chromium V8 Type Confusion (critical 9.6, exploited in the wild)
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## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2015-7496 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2015-7496 is a high-severity vulnerability in Fedoraproject Fedora, published on 24 Nov 2015. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2015-7496 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Fedoraproject Fedora. 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-2015-7496/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-7496/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2015-7496
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2015-7496
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2015-7496

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-7496/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.
