CVE-2015-6563
The monitor component in sshd in OpenSSH before 7.0 on non-OpenBSD platforms accepts extraneous username data in MONITOR_REQ_PAM_INIT_CTX requests, which allows local users to conduct impersonation
02 Description
The monitor component in sshd in OpenSSH before 7.0 on non-OpenBSD platforms accepts extraneous username data in MONITOR_REQ_PAM_INIT_CTX requests, which allows local users to conduct impersonation
03 Exploitation and scoring
- Exploitation
- Assessed, none found. CISA's assessment recorded neither public exploit code nor evidence of exploitation when it was made.
- SSVC decision
- ExploitationnoneCISA recorded no public exploit code and no evidence of exploitation.
- AutomatablenoAt least one step from reconnaissance to exploitation cannot be reliably automated.
- Technical ImpacttotalSuccessful exploitation gives total control of the vulnerable component.
- EPSS probability
- 0.38% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days.
- EPSS percentile
- Equal to or higher than the score of 31.8% of scored records. A rank, not a probability.
- NVD base score
- 6.4 (CVSS v3.x), scored by the NVD independently of the CNA.
- NVD CVSS vector
- CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- NVD analysis status
- Modified. NVD last modified this record on 2026-06-17.
- Red Hat severity
- Moderate. Red Hat's rating for its own products, not a CVSS rating.
Exploit-prediction scores from FIRST. Independent scoring and analysis status from the NVD. Vendor severity from Red Hat. Exploitation assessment and catalog membership from CISA.
04 Metadata
- Published
- 2015-08-24 00:00Z11 YR AGO
- Last updated
- 2026-05-27 16:11Z5 MO AGO
- Reserved
- 2015-08-21
- Assigning CNA
- mitre
- Record state
- PUBLISHED
- Severity
- Medium (CVSS 6.4)
- CNA CVSS vector
- CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- Weaknesses
- Data version
- 5.2
- Document digest
- afb6717a0ee81bde752ff0a86a2100442133ba2f46b0b8b22e90705d49aa8f00
05 Affected products
06 References
- www.openwall.com[oss-security] 20150821 Re: CVE request - OpenSSH 6.9 PAM privilege separation vulnerabilitieshttp://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2015/08/22/1
- lists.fedoraproject.orgFEDORA-2015-13469http://lists.fedoraproject.org/pipermail/package-announce/2015-August/165170.html
- lists.apple.comAPPLE-SA-2015-10-21-4http://lists.apple.com/archives/security-announce/2015/Oct/msg00005.html
- support.apple.comhttps://support.apple.com/HT205375
- www.securityfocus.com76317http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/76317
- github.comhttps://github.com/openssh/openssh-portable/commit/d4697fe9a28dab7255c60433e4dd23cf7fce8a8b
- www.oracle.comhttp://www.oracle.com/technetwork/topics/security/linuxbulletinapr2016-2952096.html
- security.gentoo.orgGLSA-201512-04https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201512-04
- www.openssh.comhttp://www.openssh.com/txt/release-7.0
- www.oracle.comhttp://www.oracle.com/technetwork/topics/security/linuxbulletinoct2015-2719645.html
- rhn.redhat.comRHSA-2016:0741http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-0741.html
- seclists.org20150813 BFS-SA-2015-002: OpenSSH PAM Privilege Separation Vulnerabilitieshttp://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2015/Aug/54
- www.oracle.comhttp://www.oracle.com/technetwork/topics/security/bulletinjan2016-2867206.html
- lists.opensuse.orgSUSE-SU-2015:1581http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2015-09/msg00017.html
- lists.debian.org[debian-lts-announce] 20180910 [SECURITY] [DLA 1500-1] openssh security updatehttps://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2018/09/msg00010.html
- security.netapp.comhttps://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20180201-0002/
- www.broadcom.comhttps://www.broadcom.com/support/fibre-channel-networking/security-advisories/brocade-security-advisory-2019-766
- cert-portal.siemens.comhttps://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/pdf/ssa-412672.pdf
07 Fixed in
Debian 12
- openssh Fixed in 1:6.9p1-1
Source: Debian Security Tracker, the Debian security team. Received through OSV.dev. Reformatted by exploit.cc.
Debian 13
- openssh Fixed in 1:6.9p1-1
Source: Debian Security Tracker, the Debian security team. Received through OSV.dev. Reformatted by exploit.cc.
Debian 14
- openssh Fixed in 1:6.9p1-1
Source: Debian Security Tracker, the Debian security team. Received through OSV.dev. Reformatted by exploit.cc.
Ubuntu 14.04 LTS
- openssh Fixed in 1:6.6p1-2ubuntu2.2
Source: Ubuntu, Canonical Ltd. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Received through OSV.dev. Reformatted by exploit.cc.
A release or ecosystem missing from this list has no record here. It may be unaffected or not covered by the source. Source notices and licences.