#VU106021 NULL pointer dereference in pam_pkcs11 - CVE-2025-24031

Vulnerability identifier: #VU106021

Vulnerability risk: Medium

CVSSv4.0: 6.6 [CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:U/U:Green]

CVE-ID: CVE-2025-24031

CWE-ID: CWE-476

Exploitation vector: Network

Exploit availability: No

Vulnerable software:
pam_pkcs11
Other software / Other software solutions

Vendor: OpenSC

Description

The vulnerability allows a remote attacker to perform a denial of service (DoS) attack.

The vulnerability exists due to a NULL pointer dereference error in pam_get_pwd. A remote attacker can pass specially crafted data to the application and perform a denial of service (DoS) attack.

Mitigation
Install updates from vendor's website.

Vulnerable software versions

pam_pkcs11: 0.5.2 - 0.6.12

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External links
https://github.com/OpenSC/pam_pkcs11/blob/bb2e3f3a95e44fdf44b0d5a4b377db3179021380/src/pam_pkcs11/pam_pkcs11.c#L211
https://github.com/OpenSC/pam_pkcs11/blob/bb2e3f3a95e44fdf44b0d5a4b377db3179021380/src/pam_pkcs11/pam_pkcs11.c#L797
https://github.com/OpenSC/pam_pkcs11/security/advisories/GHSA-wvr3-c9x3-9mff

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Q & A

Can this vulnerability be exploited remotely?

Yes. This vulnerability can be exploited by a remote non-authenticated attacker via the Internet.

Is there known malware, which exploits this vulnerability?

No. We are not aware of malware exploiting this vulnerability.