LinuxOperating system · Redhat
CVE-2002-1160
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedThe default configuration of the pam_xauth module forwards MIT-Magic-Cookies to new X sessions, which could allow local users to gain root privileges by stealing the cookies from a temporary .xauth file, which is created with the original user's credentials after root uses su.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceThe pam_xauth module in its default configuration forwards MIT-Magic-Cookies to new X sessions. When root uses `su` to become another user, a temporary .xauth file is created with the original user's (root's) credentials. A local attacker can steal these cookies from the temp file to gain access to the original user's X session, potentially achieving root privileges.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data
LinuxOperating system
= 7.1= 7.2= 7.3= 8.0CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Complete
- Integrity
- Complete
- Availability
- Complete
AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify the installed Red Hat Linux versionRun `cat /etc/redhat-release` or `cat /etc/os-release` to determine the exact version numberAffected if The version is 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, or 8.0
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Verify pam_xauth package is installedRun `rpm -q pam` or check for the pam_xauth module in /lib/security/ or /lib64/security/Affected if The pam_xauth module file exists in the PAM modules directory
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Check if pam_xauth is referenced in PAM configurationRun `grep -r pam_xauth /etc/pam.d/` to see which PAM service stacks include the pam_xauth moduleAffected if The module is loaded in any PAM service configuration (such as su, login, or gdm)
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Examine the pam_xauth configuration for cookie forwardingCheck PAM configuration files for pam_xauth entries and look for 'forwardpass' or 'debug' options, or examine /etc/security/pam_xauth.confAffected if The module is configured with default settings (no forwardpass options set to prevent forwarding)
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Inspect permissions on .xauth files after su usageAfter running `su` to another user, check permissions on any created temporary .xauth files (typically in /tmp or the target user's home directory) using `ls -la`Affected if The .xauth files have permissions allowing other users to read them (world-readable or group-readable)
A user is affected if they run any of Red Hat Linux 7.1-8.0, have pam_xauth installed and loaded in their PAM configuration, and are using default settings where X authentication cookies can be accessed by local attackers.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataModify the pam_xauth configuration to disable cookie forwarding (set 'forwardpass' options appropriately or remove the module from sensitive PAM stacks), and ensure .xauth files are created with restricted permissions.
Fix this in Linux
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,984.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2002-1160 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2002-1160 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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