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Home >> Browse Vulnerability Assessment Database >> Gain root remotely >> OpenSSH < 2.1.1 UseLogin feature

Vulnerability Assessment Details

OpenSSH < 2.1.1 UseLogin feature

Vulnerability Assessment Summary
Checks for the remote OpenSSH version

Detailed Explanation for this Vulnerability Assessment

You are running a version of OpenSSH which is older than 2.1.1.

If the UseLogin option is enabled, then sshd does not switch to the
uid of the user logging in. Instead, sshd relies on login(1) to do
the job. However, if the user specifies a command for remote
execution, login(1) cannot be used and sshd fails to set the correct
user id, so the command is run with the same privilege as sshd
(usually root rights).

*** Note that Nessus did not acertain whether the UseLogin
*** option was activated or not, so this message may
*** be a false alarm

Solution : Upgrade to OpenSSH 2.1.1 or make sure
that the option UseLogin is set to no in sshd_config

Network Security Threat Level: High

Networks Security ID: 1334

Vulnerability Assessment Copyright: This script is Copyright (C) 2000 Renaud Deraison

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