CVE-2015-3245 Technical Vulnerability Analysis & Patch Advisory (CVSS 2.1)
Executive & SecOps Summary
SECOPS ASSESSMENTSystems running unpatched versions impacted by CVE-2015-3245
Incomplete blacklist vulnerability in the chfn function in libuser before 0.56.13-8 and 0.60 before 0.60-7, as used in the userhelper progra...
Apply vendor security patches and restrict external network exposure.
Affected Products & Version Scope
Remediation & Live Workaround Commands
PATCH & WORKAROUNDRemediation Steps
- Upgrade to the latest patched release from the vendor.
- Apply virtual patching or network segmentation until maintenance windows allow full patching.
Scan Your Repositories for Transitive Vulnerable Dependencies in 30 Seconds
Automatically detect vulnerable packages across npm, PyPI, Maven, and Go, and open automated fix Pull Requests without breaking your build.
Technical Root Cause & Exploitation Mechanics
Technical Overview
Incomplete blacklist vulnerability in the chfn function in libuser before 0.56.13-8 and 0.60 before 0.60-7, as used in the userhelper program in the usermode package, allows local users to cause a denial of service (/etc/passwd corruption) via a newline character in the GECOS field.
- CVSS Score: 2.1 (LOW)
- CWE IDs: CWE-20
Official Vendor Advisories & References
Incomplete blacklist vulnerability in the chfn function in libuser before 0.56.13-8 and 0.60 before 0.60-7, as used in the userhelper program in the usermode package, allows local users to cause a denial of service (/etc/passwd corruption) via a newline character in the GECOS field.
Frequently Asked SecOps Questions (CVE-2015-3245)
FAQQ1. How critical is CVE-2015-3245 and is it actively exploited in the wild?
CVE-2015-3245 is rated CVSS 2.1 (LOW) with a 30-day EPSS exploitation probability of 5.4%. Organizations running affected versions should prioritize patching based on network exposure.
Q2. Which vendors and products are affected by CVE-2015-3245?
Primary impacted vendors include security-advisory across enterprise-software. Scope summary: All unpatched versions listed in the official NVD CPE configurations
Q3. What temporary mitigations or workarounds exist for CVE-2015-3245 before patching?
[Mitigation] Apply vendor security patches and restrict external network exposure. Follow the CLI remediation commands and interactive SecOps checklist on this page to restrict exposure prior to your maintenance window.
Generate an Internal Engineering Notice or CISO Report for CVE-2015-3245
Instantly format this advisory into an executive CISO summary or engineering patch ticket.
🔗 Related Advisories in Similar Stack (security-advisory)
View Category →CVE-2026-120114 Technical Vulnerability Analysis & Patch Advisory (CVSS 7.2)
[Affected Scope] Systems running unpatched versions impacted by CVE-2026-120114
GitLab CE/EE Unauthenticated Remote Code Execution (RCE) Advisory (CVE-2026-97229)
[Affected Scope] GitLab CE/EE versions 19.2 (< 19.2.8), 19.3 (< 19.3.5), and 19.4 (< 19.4.2)
GitLab CE/EE Unauthenticated Arbitrary File Read Vulnerability (CVE-2026-85706)
[Affected Scope] GitLab CE/EE versions from 18.7 through 19.3.1.
Google Brotli Decoder Remote Code Execution (RCE) and Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2026-111497)
[Affected Scope] All web servers, browsers, Node.js environments, and backend applications using Google Brotli library versions 1.0.3 through 1.2.0
Subscribe to Daily Vulnerability Briefings & KEV Alerts
Concise morning briefings for SecOps, DevSecOps, and SRE teams covering newly exploited CVEs and mitigation priorities.