How severe is CVE-2015-5224?

CVE-2015-5224 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2015-5224 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 5% (90th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2015-5224?

CVE-2015-5224 primarily affects Kernel Util-linux. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2015-5224?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2015-5224 published?

CVE-2015-5224 was published on 2017-08-23 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2015-5224

CVE-2015-5224 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Kernel Util-linux with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-377.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.8)
CVSS v2: 7.5
EPSS exploit prediction: 5% (90th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-377
Affected product: Kernel Util-linux
Published: 2017-08-23
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

The mkostemp function in login-utils in util-linux when used incorrectly allows remote attackers to cause file name collision and possibly other attacks.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2015-5224?: The mkostemp function in login-utils in util-linux when used incorrectly allows remote attackers to cause file name collision and possibly other attacks.
How severe is CVE-2015-5224?: CVE-2015-5224 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2015-5224 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 5% (90th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2015-5224?: CVE-2015-5224 primarily affects Kernel Util-linux. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2015-5224?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2015-5224 published?: CVE-2015-5224 was published on 2017-08-23 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (2)

cpe:2.3:a:kernel:util-linux:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:kernel:util-linux:2.27:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*

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Other CWE-377 (Insecure Temporary File) vulnerabilities

CVE-2011-4119 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): caml-light <= 0.75 uses mktemp() insecurely, and also does unsafe things in /tmp during make install.
CVE-2012-2666 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): golang/go in 1.0.2 fixes all.bash on shared machines. dotest() in src/pkg/debug/gosym/pclntab_test.go creates a…
CVE-2025-14307 — High (CVSS 8.1): An insecure temporary file creation vulnerability exists in the AutoExtract component of Robocode version 1.9.3.6. The…
CVE-2023-43498 — High (CVSS 8.1): In Jenkins 2.423 and earlier, LTS 2.414.1 and earlier, processing file uploads using MultipartFormDataParser creates…
CVE-2025-46369 — High (CVSS 7.8): Dell Alienware Command Center 6.x (AWCC), versions prior to 6.10.15.0, contains an Insecure Temporary File…
CVE-2025-7707 — High (CVSS 7.8): The llama_index library version 0.12.33 sets the NLTK data directory to a subdirectory of the codebase by default,…

Browse all CWE-377 (Insecure Temporary File) vulnerabilities →