# CVE-2025-6020: Linux-pam: linux-pam directory traversal

Status: published. Published: 2025-06-17. Updated: 2026-11-04.

A flaw was found in linux-pam. The module pam_namespace may use access user-controlled paths without proper protection, allowing local users to elevate their privileges to root via multiple symlink attacks and race conditions.

## Remediation

- workaround: Disable the `pam_namespace` module if it is not essential for your environment, or carefully review and configure it to avoid operating on any directories or paths that can be influenced or controlled by unprivileged users, such as user home directories or world-writable locations like `/tmp`. (source: CNA: redhat)

## Affected products and versions

-  /  (linux-pam): ≥ 0; < 1.7.1 (affected, semver). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 (pam): ≥ 0:1.6.1-8.el10; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10.0 Extended Update Support (pam): ≥ 0:1.6.1-8.el10_0; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 Extended Lifecycle Support (pam): ≥ 0:1.1.8-23.el7_9.1; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 (pam): ≥ 0:1.3.1-37.el8_10; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 (pam): ≥ 0:1.3.1-38.el8_10; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.2 Advanced Update Support (pam): ≥ 0:1.3.1-8.el8_2.1; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Advanced Mission Critical Update Support (pam): ≥ 0:1.3.1-14.el8_4.1; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.6 Advanced Mission Critical Update Support (pam): ≥ 0:1.3.1-16.el8_6.2; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.6 Telecommunications Update Service (pam): ≥ 0:1.3.1-16.el8_6.2; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.6 Update Services for SAP Solutions (pam): ≥ 0:1.3.1-16.el8_6.2; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.8 Telecommunications Update Service (pam): ≥ 0:1.3.1-26.el8_8.1; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.8 Update Services for SAP Solutions (pam): ≥ 0:1.3.1-26.el8_8.1; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 (pam): ≥ 0:1.5.1-26.el9_6; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 (pam): ≥ 0:1.5.1-25.el9_6; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.0 Update Services for SAP Solutions (pam): ≥ 0:1.5.1-9.el9_0.2; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.2 Update Services for SAP Solutions (pam): ≥ 0:1.5.1-15.el9_2.1; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.4 Extended Update Support (pam): ≥ 0:1.5.1-24.el9_4; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Web Terminal 1.11 on RHEL 9 (web-terminal/web-terminal-rhel9-operator): ≥ 1.11-19; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Web Terminal 1.11 on RHEL 9 (web-terminal/web-terminal-tooling-rhel9): ≥ 1.11-8; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Web Terminal 1.12 on RHEL 9 (web-terminal/web-terminal-tooling-rhel9): ≥ 1.12-4; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / RHEL-8 based Middleware Containers (rhpam-7/rhpam-businesscentral-monitoring-rhel8): ≥ 7.13.5-4.1752066672; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / RHEL-8 based Middleware Containers (rhpam-7/rhpam-businesscentral-rhel8): ≥ 7.13.5-4.1752065732; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / RHEL-8 based Middleware Containers (rhpam-7/rhpam-controller-rhel8): ≥ 7.13.5-4.1752065732; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / RHEL-8 based Middleware Containers (rhpam-7/rhpam-dashbuilder-rhel8): ≥ 7.13.5-3.1752065737; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / RHEL-8 based Middleware Containers (rhpam-7/rhpam-kieserver-rhel8): ≥ 7.13.5-4.1752065731; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / RHEL-8 based Middleware Containers (rhpam-7/rhpam-operator-bundle): ≥ 7.13.5-25; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / RHEL-8 based Middleware Containers (rhpam-7/rhpam-process-migration-rhel8): ≥ 7.13.5-4.1752065736; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / RHEL-8 based Middleware Containers (rhpam-7/rhpam-rhel8-operator): ≥ 7.13.5-2.1752065733; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / RHEL-8 based Middleware Containers (rhpam-7/rhpam-smartrouter-rhel8): ≥ 7.13.5-4.1752065755; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / RHOSS-1.36-RHEL-8 (openshift-serverless-1/logic-data-index-ephemeral-rhel8): ≥ 1.36.0-11; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / RHOSS-1.36-RHEL-8 (openshift-serverless-1/logic-data-index-postgresql-rhel8): ≥ 1.36.0-11; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / RHOSS-1.36-RHEL-8 (openshift-serverless-1/logic-db-migrator-tool-rhel8): ≥ 1.36.0-11; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / RHOSS-1.36-RHEL-8 (openshift-serverless-1/logic-jobs-service-ephemeral-rhel8): ≥ 1.36.0-10; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / RHOSS-1.36-RHEL-8 (openshift-serverless-1/logic-jobs-service-postgresql-rhel8): ≥ 1.36.0-10; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / RHOSS-1.36-RHEL-8 (openshift-serverless-1/logic-kn-workflow-cli-artifacts-rhel8): ≥ 1.36.0-4; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / RHOSS-1.36-RHEL-8 (openshift-serverless-1/logic-management-console-rhel8): ≥ 1.36.0-9; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / RHOSS-1.36-RHEL-8 (openshift-serverless-1/logic-operator-bundle): ≥ 1.36.0-12; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / RHOSS-1.36-RHEL-8 (openshift-serverless-1/logic-rhel8-operator): ≥ 1.36.0-18; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / RHOSS-1.36-RHEL-8 (openshift-serverless-1/logic-swf-builder-rhel8): ≥ 1.36.0-11; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / RHOSS-1.36-RHEL-8 (openshift-serverless-1/logic-swf-devmode-rhel8): ≥ 1.36.0-7; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / cert-manager operator for Red Hat OpenShift 1.16 (cert-manager/jetstack-cert-manager-rhel9): ≥ v1.16.5-1760515757; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Compliance Operator 1 (compliance/openshift-compliance-openscap-rhel8): ≥ 1.8.0; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Discovery 2 (discovery/discovery-server-rhel9): ≥ 2.0.0-1752592913; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Discovery 2 (discovery/discovery-server-rhel9): ≥ 2.2.1-1758555934; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Insights proxy 1.5 (insights-proxy/insights-proxy-container-rhel9): ≥ 1.5.7-1759331989; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat OpenShift distributed tracing 3.6.0 (rhosdt/opentelemetry-collector-rhel8): ≥ rhosdt-3.6-1752046452; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat OpenShift distributed tracing 3.6.0 (rhosdt/opentelemetry-rhel8-operator): ≥ rhosdt-3.6-1752046437; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat OpenShift distributed tracing 3.6.0 (rhosdt/opentelemetry-target-allocator-rhel8): ≥ rhosdt-3.6-1752046439; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat OpenShift distributed tracing 3.6.0 (rhosdt/tempo-gateway-opa-rhel8): ≥ rhosdt-3.6-1752070865; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat OpenShift distributed tracing 3.6.0 (rhosdt/tempo-gateway-rhel8): ≥ rhosdt-3.6-1752070873; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat OpenShift distributed tracing 3.6.0 (rhosdt/tempo-jaeger-query-rhel8): ≥ rhosdt-3.6-1751993590; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat OpenShift distributed tracing 3.6.0 (rhosdt/tempo-query-rhel8): ≥ rhosdt-3.6-1752070827; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat OpenShift distributed tracing 3.6.0 (rhosdt/tempo-rhel8): ≥ rhosdt-3.6-1752070833; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat OpenShift distributed tracing 3.6.0 (rhosdt/tempo-rhel8-operator): ≥ rhosdt-3.6-1752070866; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat OpenShift sandboxed containers 1.10 (openshift-sandboxed-containers/osc-cloud-api-adaptor-rhel9): ≥ 1.10.2-1757422110; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat OpenShift sandboxed containers 1.10 (openshift-sandboxed-containers/osc-monitor-rhel9): ≥ 1.10.2-1757421804; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat OpenShift sandboxed containers 1.10 (openshift-sandboxed-containers/osc-podvm-builder-rhel9): ≥ 1.10.2-1757421879; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat OpenShift sandboxed containers 1.10 (openshift-sandboxed-containers/osc-podvm-payload-rhel9): ≥ 1.10.2-1757422401; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Siemens / RUGGEDCOM ROX MX5000: ≥ 0; < V2.17.1 (affected, custom). Source: ADP: siemens-SADP
- Siemens / RUGGEDCOM ROX MX5000RE: ≥ 0; < V2.17.1 (affected, custom). Source: ADP: siemens-SADP
- Siemens / RUGGEDCOM ROX RX1400: ≥ 0; < V2.17.1 (affected, custom). Source: ADP: siemens-SADP
- Siemens / RUGGEDCOM ROX RX1500: ≥ 0; < V2.17.1 (affected, custom). Source: ADP: siemens-SADP
- Siemens / RUGGEDCOM ROX RX1501: ≥ 0; < V2.17.1 (affected, custom). Source: ADP: siemens-SADP
- Siemens / RUGGEDCOM ROX RX1510: ≥ 0; < V2.17.1 (affected, custom). Source: ADP: siemens-SADP
- Siemens / RUGGEDCOM ROX RX1511: ≥ 0; < V2.17.1 (affected, custom). Source: ADP: siemens-SADP
- Siemens / RUGGEDCOM ROX RX1512: ≥ 0; < V2.17.1 (affected, custom). Source: ADP: siemens-SADP
- Siemens / RUGGEDCOM ROX RX1524: ≥ 0; < V2.17.1 (affected, custom). Source: ADP: siemens-SADP
- Siemens / RUGGEDCOM ROX RX1536: ≥ 0; < V2.17.1 (affected, custom). Source: ADP: siemens-SADP
- Siemens / RUGGEDCOM ROX RX5000: ≥ 0; < V2.17.1 (affected, custom). Source: ADP: siemens-SADP

## Severity and prioritization

- CVSS 3.1: 7.8 (high); CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H; source: CNA: redhat

- CISA KEV: No listing in collected sources

- EPSS: 0.47% as of 2026-11-04; percentile 40.91%

- SSVC: exploitation none; automatable no; technical impact total; source ADP: CISA-ADP

- Weaknesses: CWE-22

## Exploit evidence

No exploit evidence in collected sources. This is not proof of no exploitation.

## References

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:10024 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:10027 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:10180 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:10354 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:10357 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:10358 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:10359 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:10361 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:10362 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:10735 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:10823 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:11386 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:11487 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:14557 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:15099 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:15709 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:15827 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:15828 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:16524 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:17181 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:18219 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:20181 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:21885 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:22019 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:9526 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:0934 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2025-6020 (CNA: redhat; vdb-entry, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2372512 (CNA: redhat; issue-tracking, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://github.com/linux-pam/linux-pam/security/advisories/GHSA-f9p8-gjr4-j9gx (CNA: redhat)

- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2025/06/17/1 (ADP: CVE)

- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/09/msg00021.html (ADP: CVE)

- https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-577017.html (ADP: siemens-SADP)

## Provenance

- CNA: redhat: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-6020; retrieved 2026-11-04; source updated 2026-11-04

- FIRST EPSS: https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2025-6020; retrieved 2026-11-04; source updated Not reported

Revision: e80919a3b19f879df89015b11e3ee16862a17557f4f996c4d9fb9912de25b30d

Canonical: https://y2.dev/cve/CVE-2025-6020

## Agent and API access

Public CVE pages, Markdown, and JSON are free to read without an account or API key.

- Public catalog: https://y2.dev/cve/index.json. Follow nextCursor with the same search, filters, sort, and limit (1–100). A null cursor marks the end.

- WebMCP: search_cve_disclosures, get_cve_disclosure, get_cve_page_markdown, get_y2_cve_access. Available in compatible browsers.

- Cyber API: https://api.y2.dev/api/v2/cyber/cves and https://api.y2.dev/api/v2/cyber/cves/{cveId}.

- Y2 Pro or Elite: create a workspace API key with the intel:cyber scope and send Authorization: Bearer <Y2_API_KEY>. Setup: https://y2.dev/docs/api/create-key.

- x402: Pay per request without an account or API key. Omit Authorization, read the HTTP 402 PAYMENT-REQUIRED challenge, validate its current requirements, and retry with PAYMENT-SIGNATURE through an authorized payment client. These browser tools never make payments. Guide: https://y2.dev/docs/api/x402.

- OpenAPI: https://y2.dev/api/openapi.yaml. Agent access metadata: https://y2.dev/cve/agent.json.

Collected public records only. Check source status for coverage and freshness.