How severe is CVE-2025-6018?

CVE-2025-6018 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2025-6018 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (61st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2025-6018?

CVE-2025-6018 affects Suse Pam-config. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2025-6018?

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

Does CVE-2025-6018 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?

Yes. CVE-2025-6018 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2025-22455.

When was CVE-2025-6018 published?

CVE-2025-6018 was published on 2025-07-23 and last updated on 2026-06-30.

CVE-2025-6018

CVE-2025-6018 is a high-severity vulnerability in Suse Pam-config with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8. 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-863.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (61st percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
EU (EUVD) id: EUVD-2025-22455
Weakness: CWE-863
Affected product: Suse Pam-config
Published: 2025-07-23
Last modified: 2026-06-30

Description

A Local Privilege Escalation (LPE) vulnerability has been discovered in pam-config within Linux Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM). This flaw allows an unprivileged local attacker (for example, a user logged in via SSH) to obtain the elevated privileges normally reserved for a physically present, "allow_active" user. The highest risk is that the attacker can then perform all allow_active yes Polkit actions, which are typically restricted to console users, potentially gaining unauthorized control over system configurations, services, or other sensitive operations.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2025-6018?: A Local Privilege Escalation (LPE) vulnerability has been discovered in pam-config within Linux Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM). This flaw allows an unprivileged local attacker (for example, a user logged in via SSH) to obtain the elevated privileges normally reserved for a physically present, "allow_active" user. The highest risk is that the attacker can then perform all allow_active yes Polkit actions, which are typically restricted to console users, potentially gaining unauthorized control over system configurations, services, or other sensitive operations.
How severe is CVE-2025-6018?: CVE-2025-6018 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2025-6018 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (61st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2025-6018?: CVE-2025-6018 affects Suse Pam-config. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2025-6018?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
Does CVE-2025-6018 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?: Yes. CVE-2025-6018 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2025-22455.
When was CVE-2025-6018 published?: CVE-2025-6018 was published on 2025-07-23 and last updated on 2026-06-30.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:suse:pam-config:1.1.8-24.71.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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