CVE-2025-14104
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 · uneditedA flaw was found in util-linux. This vulnerability allows a heap buffer overread when processing 256-byte usernames, specifically within the `setpwnam()` function, affecting SUID (Set User ID) login-utils utilities writing to the password database.
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 · moderate confidenceA heap buffer overread vulnerability exists in util-linux's setpwnam() function when processing 256-byte usernames, affecting SUID login-utils utilities that write to the password database (e.g., /etc/passwd). An attacker with local access could potentially exploit this to read heap memory contents via specially crafted usernames.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
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
- Low
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:H
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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Check installed util-linux versionRun `rpm -q util-linux` (RHEL/Fedora) or `dpkg -l util-linux` (Debian/Ubuntu) or `lsb_release -a` combined with `util-linux --version` to identify the exact version installed on your systemAffected if The installed version is lower than the vendor-fixed version and falls within the vulnerable range
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Locate SUID login-utils utilitiesRun `find /usr -perm -4000 -name "*user*" -o -perm -4000 -name "*login*" -o -perm -4000 -name "*chfn*" -o -perm -4000 -name "*chsh*" 2>/dev/null` to find SUID binaries in login-utils that write to /etc/passwdAffected if SUID login-utils binaries (such as chfn, chsh, or other user management tools) exist on the system and are owned by root with the SUID bit set
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Identify if password database is writableCheck if any SUID login utility can write to /etc/passwd by examining its capabilities or running it with untrusted input in a test environment; also verify /etc/passwd permissions with `ls -la /etc/passwd`Affected if The SUID login-utils utilities can write to /etc/passwd and the vulnerability in setpwnam() is triggered when processing a 256-byte username
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Assess user account creation accessDetermine if non-privileged or untrusted users can trigger account creation by checking if they have access to commands like `useradd`, `newusers`, or SUID utilities that process usernames via setpwnam()Affected if Untrusted or non-root users can create accounts or modify user entries, allowing them to supply the 256-byte username that triggers the heap overread in setpwnam()
You are affected if your system runs a vulnerable util-linux version with SUID login-utils binaries that permit untrusted users to create or modify accounts, enabling them to trigger the heap buffer overread via specially crafted 256-byte usernames.
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 dataApply the vendor-supplied patch or update util-linux to the fixed version. Prioritize updating affected SUID login utilities on systems where untrusted users can create accounts.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-14104 — 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-2025-14104 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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