CVE-2026-48064 HIGH

CVE-2026-48064: pam_usb: PAM_RHOST check skipped when deny_remote=false allows XDMCP authentication bypass

Vendor Mcdope
Product pam_usb
Weakness CWE-863 · Incorrect authorization
Published May 27, 2026
Last update June 2, 2026

CVSS base score

8.1/10
Attack vector Network
Attack complexity High
Privileges required None
User interaction None
Confidentiality High
Integrity High

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

What the vulnerability does

01Description

pam_usb provides hardware authentication for Linux using ordinary removable media. Prior to 0.9.1, when a PAM service is configured with deny_remote=false in pam_usb (commonly done for display managers such as gdm-password or lightdm to bypass process/TTY heuristics for local sessions), the PAM_RHOST check in pusb_do_auth() is also skipped. PAM_RHOST is set by remote daemons (sshd, XDMCP servers) to identify the remote client address. Because the check is gated inside if (opts.deny_remote), a genuine remote XDMCP connection reaches the USB device authentication step instead of being rejected. This vulnerability is fixed in 0.9.1.

Key dates

02Disclosure timeline

May 27, 2026 CVE published
June 2, 2026 Record updated

Related vulnerabilities

04Related CVE