Util LinuxApplication · Linux
CVE-2008-1926
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 · uneditedArgument injection vulnerability in login (login-utils/login.c) in util-linux-ng 2.14 and earlier makes it easier for remote attackers to hide activities by modifying portions of log events, as demonstrated by appending an "addr=" statement to the login name, aka "audit log injection."
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 confidenceThis is an argument injection vulnerability in the login utility (login-utils/login.c) of util-linux-ng 2.14 and earlier. Attackers can inject arbitrary content into audit logs by appending 'addr=' statements to the login username, allowing them to hide malicious activities or create misleading log entries.
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
Util LinuxApplication
= 2.13= 2.13.0.1= 2.13.1= 2.13.1.1= 2.14CVSS 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
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Partial
- Integrity
- Partial
- Availability
- Partial
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
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 util-linux-ng package versionRun 'rpm -q util-linux-ng' or 'dpkg -l util-linux-ng' or check the package manager for the installed version of the util-linux-ng packageAffected if The installed version is 2.14 or earlier, including any of these specific versions: 2.13, 2.13.0.1, 2.13.1, 2.13.1.1, 2.14
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Identify standalone login package versionRun 'rpm -q login' or 'dpkg -l login' to check for a separate login package version if util-linux-ng is not the package name usedAffected if A separate login package version is 2.14 or earlier
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Locate the login utility binaryRun 'which login' or 'find / -name login -type f 2>/dev/null' to find the login binary location, then run 'login --version' or 'login --help' if available to determine its versionAffected if The login utility is from an affected util-linux-ng version and the version cannot be determined or shows 2.14 or earlier
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Check for login source fileIf source code is available, inspect login-utils/login.c for the argument handling code that processes usernames and passes them to audit logging functionsAffected if The source code shows username input is passed directly to logging functions without sanitization of 'addr=' or similar parameters
You are affected if the installed util-linux-ng or login package version is 2.14 or any of the specific affected versions (2.13, 2.13.0.1, 2.13.1, 2.13.1.1), as these contain the vulnerable code that allows argument injection into audit logs through the login username field.
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 dataUpgrade to a patched version of util-linux-ng (2.14.1 or later) that properly sanitizes login arguments before logging. If upgrade is not possible, patch login.c to validate and escape input before passing to logging functions.
Fix this in Util 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-2008-1926 — 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-2008-1926 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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