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CVE-2026-48983

5.8 · MEDIUM

pam_usb provides hardware authentication for Linux using ordinary removable media.

Published Jun 18, 2026CWE-367EPSS 0.11%

Overview

CVE-2026-48983 is a medium-severity vulnerability. It was published on June 18, 2026 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.8 (MEDIUM).

This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.8, rated MEDIUM. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. Some level of privileges is required for exploitation.

Technical description

pam_usb provides hardware authentication for Linux using ordinary removable media. In versions prior to 0.9.2, a symlink race condition exists in per-device and per-user pad directory creation. pam_usb uses a check-then-act pattern: it calls lstat() to test for existence and then calls mkdir() separately to create the directory. A local attacker can win the race between these calls by replacing the target path with a symlink to a directory they control. If successful, one-time pad files may be written to an attacker-controlled location, potentially exposing future pad values before use or disrupting authentication. This issue has been fixed in version 0.9.2.

Remediation

Check the references section for vendor advisories, patches, and mitigation guidance. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-48983?

CVE-2026-48983 is a medium-severity vulnerability. It was published on June 18, 2026 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.8 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2026-48983?

This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.8, rated MEDIUM. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. Some level of privileges is required for exploitation.

How do I fix or remediate CVE-2026-48983?

Check the references section for vendor advisories, patches, and mitigation guidance. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.

How can CyberStrike help with CVE-2026-48983?

CyberStrike is an open-source, AI-augmented pentesting engine. Rather than flag a version number, it tests whether an issue like CVE-2026-48983 is actually reachable in your own applications and APIs, then verifies each finding before reporting it. That tells you if the weakness is a real, exploitable risk in your environment or a false positive you can safely deprioritize.

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