CVE-2010-3853

pam_namespace.c in the pam_namespace module in Linux-PAM (aka pam) before 1.1.3 uses the environment of the invoking application or service during execution of the namespace.init script, which might allow local users to gain privileges by running a setuid program that relies on the pam_namespace PAM check, as demonstrated by the sudo program.

Published: 2011-01-24 Last update: 2026-04-29 Assigner: [email protected] Source: [email protected]
NVD Status：Modified，CVE State: published
View at NVD, CVE.org, EUVD

CVE-2010-3853 is rated Moderate Risk (40/100): CVSS Medium severity, with low exploitation likelihood (EPSS 0.14%). Review affected assets and schedule remediation.

Risk is dynamic; we continuously reassess and refresh what is shown on this page as upstream context changes.

Exploit prediction scoring system (EPSS) score for CVE-2010-3853

EPSS lead: Daily EPSS estimates relative likelihood of exploitation; percentile ranks this CVE among scored vulnerabilities (higher = more severe relative rank).

# Date Old EPSS score New EPSS score Delta (New - Old)
1 2025-07-26 0.16% 0.14% -0.02%
2 2025-03-30 0.14% 0.16% +0.02%
3 2025-03-29 — 0.14% —

Full EPSS history (6 records total)

Common vulnerability scoring system (CVSS) metrics for CVE-2010-3853

CVSS metrics for this CVE.

Base score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Impact Score source
6.9 2.0 MEDIUM
AV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C Click to expand
Access vector (AV:L)
Requires local access to the target system.
Access complexity (AC:M)
Exploitation needs some favorable conditions, but not exceptional ones.
Authentication (AU:N)
No authentication is required.
Confidentiality impact (C:C)
Complete confidentiality impact.
Integrity impact (I:C)
Complete integrity impact.
Availability impact (A:C)
Complete availability impact.
 3.4 10.0 [email protected]

Weakness enumeration for CVE-2010-3853

OS Trackers for CVE-2010-3853

vendor priority summary link
debian low CVE-2010-3853 low priority: Debian including 1 source packages (pam), 5 status rows across 5 suites (bookworm, bullseye, forky, sid, trixie): resolved 5. https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2010-3853
gentoo high CVE-2010-3853: 1 GLSA(s) (201206-31), 1 atom(s) (sys-libs/pam); latest impact high. https://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?quicksearch=CVE-2010-3853
redhat medium — https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2010-3853
suse medium CVE-2010-3853 severity moderate: SUSE including 44 source package names (pam-1.1.8-11.57, pam-1.1.8-14.1, …), 71 product×package rows across 29 product lines (SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 12, SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 SP1, … (29 product lines)): Fixed 71. https://www.suse.com/security/cve/CVE-2010-3853/
ubuntu low CVE-2010-3853 low priority: Ubuntu including 1 source packages (pam), 7 status rows across 7 suites (dapper, hardy, karmic, lucid, maverick, natty, upstream): released 5, ignored 2. https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2010-3853

Affected software / configurations for CVE-2010-3853

Vendor Product Version Raw CPE
linux-pam linux-pam <= 1.1.2 cpe:2.3:a:linux-pam:linux-pam:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
linux-pam linux-pam 0.99.1.0 cpe:2.3:a:linux-pam:linux-pam:0.99.1.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
linux-pam linux-pam 0.99.2.0 cpe:2.3:a:linux-pam:linux-pam:0.99.2.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
linux-pam linux-pam 0.99.2.1 cpe:2.3:a:linux-pam:linux-pam:0.99.2.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
linux-pam linux-pam 0.99.3.0 cpe:2.3:a:linux-pam:linux-pam:0.99.3.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
linux-pam linux-pam 0.99.4.0 cpe:2.3:a:linux-pam:linux-pam:0.99.4.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
linux-pam linux-pam 0.99.5.0 cpe:2.3:a:linux-pam:linux-pam:0.99.5.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
linux-pam linux-pam 0.99.6.0 cpe:2.3:a:linux-pam:linux-pam:0.99.6.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
linux-pam linux-pam 0.99.6.1 cpe:2.3:a:linux-pam:linux-pam:0.99.6.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
linux-pam linux-pam 0.99.6.2 cpe:2.3:a:linux-pam:linux-pam:0.99.6.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
linux-pam linux-pam 0.99.6.3 cpe:2.3:a:linux-pam:linux-pam:0.99.6.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
linux-pam linux-pam 0.99.7.0 cpe:2.3:a:linux-pam:linux-pam:0.99.7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
linux-pam linux-pam 0.99.7.1 cpe:2.3:a:linux-pam:linux-pam:0.99.7.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
linux-pam linux-pam 0.99.8.0 cpe:2.3:a:linux-pam:linux-pam:0.99.8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
linux-pam linux-pam 0.99.8.1 cpe:2.3:a:linux-pam:linux-pam:0.99.8.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
linux-pam linux-pam 0.99.9.0 cpe:2.3:a:linux-pam:linux-pam:0.99.9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
linux-pam linux-pam 0.99.10.0 cpe:2.3:a:linux-pam:linux-pam:0.99.10.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
linux-pam linux-pam 1.0.0 cpe:2.3:a:linux-pam:linux-pam:1.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
linux-pam linux-pam 1.0.1 cpe:2.3:a:linux-pam:linux-pam:1.0.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
linux-pam linux-pam 1.0.2 cpe:2.3:a:linux-pam:linux-pam:1.0.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
linux-pam linux-pam 1.0.3 cpe:2.3:a:linux-pam:linux-pam:1.0.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
linux-pam linux-pam 1.0.4 cpe:2.3:a:linux-pam:linux-pam:1.0.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
linux-pam linux-pam 1.1.0 cpe:2.3:a:linux-pam:linux-pam:1.1.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
linux-pam linux-pam 1.1.1 cpe:2.3:a:linux-pam:linux-pam:1.1.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

References for CVE-2010-3853

cvelogic Threat Intelligence