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7.2

sudo with MIT Kerberos lets local users gain unauthorized privileges

CVE-2007-3149 · published 19 years ago
Summary

When sudo is built to use MIT Kerberos 5, it may fail to confirm that a user can currently log in to Kerberos. This can let someone who already has a local account obtain sudo rights they should not have. Update sudo to a version that fixes the check or disable Kerberos authentication in sudo's configuration.

What to do

The CVE record does not list a fixed version. Check the vendor's site or the advisory links below - a fix may already be released.

Affected software
VendorProductAffected versions
mit kerberos_5 All versions
cpe:2.3:a:mit:kerberos_5:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
todd_miller sudo 1.6.8_p12
cpe:2.3:a:todd_miller:sudo:1.6.8_p12:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Original advisory text
sudo, when linked with MIT Kerberos 5 (krb5), does not properly check whether a user can currently authenticate to Kerberos, which allows local users to gain privileges, in a manner unintended by t...
sudo, when linked with MIT Kerberos 5 (krb5), does not properly check whether a user can currently authenticate to Kerberos, which allows local users to gain privileges, in a manner unintended by the sudo security model, via certain KRB5_ environment variable settings. NOTE: another researcher disputes this vulnerability, stating that the attacker must be "a user, who can already log into your system, and can already use sudo."
References
Fix within
Internet-facing 14 days
Internal At next upgrade
  • Not known to be exploited
  • Needs hands-on effort to exploit (estimated)
  • Gives an attacker full control (estimated)
Severity
7.2 High
Exploitation
<1% chance of attack within 30 days
Timeline
Published11 Jun 2007
Updated4 Nov 2026
First seen29 Sep 2026
Sources
CVE-2007-3149 · NVD
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