Description:
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iDEFENSE Security Advisory 06.16.03: The pam_wheel module of Linux-PAM uses getlogin() in an insecure manner, thereby allowing attackers to bypass certain restrictions. The pam_wheel module is often used with the su command to allow users belonging to a trusted group to utilize the command without supplying a password. The module utilizes the getlogin() function to determine the name of the currently logged in user. This name is then compared against a list of members of a trusted group as specified in the configuration file. If the trust option is enabled in the pam_wheel configuration file and the use_uid option is disabled, any local user may spoof the username returned by getlogin() and gain access to a super-user account without supplying a password.
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