dbcve.org
Util LinuxApplication · Kernel

CVE-2022-0563

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-02-21
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 2.37.4 or later.
See remediation →
57/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Zero-click

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 · unedited
A flaw was found in the util-linux chfn and chsh utilities when compiled with Readline support. The Readline library uses an "INPUTRC" environment variable to get a path to the library config file. When the library cannot parse the specified file, it prints an error message containing data from the file. This flaw allows an unprivileged user to read root-owned files, potentially leading to privilege escalation. This flaw affects util-linux versions prior to 2.37.4.

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 confidence

A vulnerability in util-linux's chfn and chsh utilities (when compiled with Readline support) allows unprivileged users to read root-owned files. The Readline library uses the INPUTRC environment variable to locate its config file; when parsing fails, it outputs an error message containing file contents. Attackers can set INPUTRC to point to sensitive root-owned files (like /etc/shadow) and trigger the error to exfiltrate their contents.

MitigationUpgrade util-linux to version 2.37.4 or later. Alternatively, ensure chfn/chsh are not compiled with Readline support, or restrict their setuid privileges if Readline is not required.

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
Affected:< 2.37.4
Ontap Select Deploy Administration UtilityApplication
Affected:all versions

CVSS 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
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify installed util-linux version
    Run 'rpm -q util-linux' or 'dpkg -l util-linux' or check /proc/version to determine the installed version of util-linux
    Affected if The version is lower than 2.37.4 (e.g., 2.36.x, 2.35.x, etc.)
  2. Verify chfn and chsh binaries exist
    Locate the chfn and chsh binaries on the system using 'which chfn chsh' or by searching in /usr/bin
    Affected if These binaries exist and are accessible to unprivileged users
  3. Determine if binaries have setuid privileges
    Run 'ls -la /usr/bin/chfn /usr/bin/chsh' or similar path to check for the 's' permission bit (setuid)
    Affected if The binaries are setuid-root, allowing unprivileged users to execute them with root privileges
  4. Check if chfn/chsh are compiled with Readline support
    Run 'ldd /usr/bin/chfn' or 'ldd /usr/bin/chsh' and look for readline library references in the output
    Affected if The binaries are linked against libreadline, making them vulnerable to the INPUTRC manipulation
  5. Verify unprivileged users can set INPUTRC
    Test that a non-root user can set the INPUTRC environment variable (e.g., 'INPUTRC=/etc/shadow chsh --help' to observe behavior)
    Affected if Users can set INPUTRC to point to protected files and trigger error output containing file contents

The environment is affected if util-linux version is below 2.37.4 AND the chfn/chsh utilities are setuid-root AND compiled with Readline support, allowing unprivileged users to exfiltrate root-owned file contents via INPUTRC manipulation.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 2.37.4 or later
Fixed in 2.37.4
Interim mitigation

Upgrade util-linux to version 2.37.4 or later. Alternatively, ensure chfn/chsh are not compiled with Readline support, or restrict their setuid privileges if Readline is not required.

Recommended fix High confidence

util-linux 2.37.4 or later

  1. Check current util-linux version using: rpm -q util-linux or dpkg -l util-linux
  2. Update package repository metadata: apt-get update (Debian/Ubuntu) or yum/dnf check-update (RHEL/Fedora)
  3. Upgrade util-linux package: apt-get install util-linux (Debian/Ubuntu) or yum/dnf update util-linux (RHEL/Fedora)
  4. Verify the new version is 2.37.4 or later: util-linux --version
  5. Restart any running services that may be using chfn/chsh to ensure the patched version is in use
Caveat Standard system utility upgrade; may require terminal session restart for readline changes to take effect

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Util Linux Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
18.0 hours of engineering $3,200
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2022-0563 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data