CVE-2026-48792 MEDIUM

CVE-2026-48792: pam_usb: pusb_has_virtual_input_device() silently discards EACCES, disabling remote desktop detection under non-root execution

Vendor Mcdope
Product pam_usb
Weakness CWE-390
Published May 27, 2026
Last update May 28, 2026

CVSS base score

4.4/10
Attack vector Local
Attack complexity Low
Privileges required Low
User interaction None
Confidentiality Low
Integrity Low

CVSS vector

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

What the vulnerability does

01Description

pam_usb provides hardware authentication for Linux using ordinary removable media. Prior to 0.9.1, src/evdev.c silently ignores EACCES errors when opening /dev/input/event* nodes, causing pusb_has_virtual_input_device() to return 0 (no virtual devices found) even when every open() call failed due to insufficient permissions. The caller in src/local.c cannot distinguish a clean absence of virtual devices from a permission-denied scan, and acts on the false negative by continuing authentication without denying. This vulnerability is fixed in 0.9.1.

Key dates

02Disclosure timeline

May 27, 2026 CVE published
May 28, 2026 Record updated