Systemd
CVE-2013-4394
MEDIUM
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A01:2025 - Broken Access Control
ASVS 5.0
V13 - Configuration Default permission hardening
MITRE ATT&CK
1 technique across 1 tactic: Privilege Escalation The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Impact | CVSS score of 5.9 (MEDIUM). Attack characteristics: local attack vector, high complexity. EPSS exploitation probability: 0.11%. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | A local attacker with access to the system could access resources due to overly permissive default settings. |
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Alert meAnalysisAI
The SetX11Keyboard function in systemd, when PolicyKit Local Authority (PKLA) is used to change the group permissions on the X Keyboard Extension (XKB) layouts description, allows local users in the. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.9). This Incorrect Default Permissions vulnerability could allow attackers to access resources due to overly permissive default settings.
RemediationAI
A vendor patch is available. Apply the latest security update as soon as possible. Set restrictive default permissions, follow principle of least privilege, review defaults during deployment.
Affects your stack
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Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.
Technical ContextAI · show details
This vulnerability is classified as Incorrect Default Permissions (CWE-276), which allows attackers to access resources due to overly permissive default settings. The SetX11Keyboard function in systemd, when PolicyKit Local Authority (PKLA) is used to change the group permissions on the X Keyboard Extension (XKB) layouts description, allows local users in the group to modify the Xorg X11 Server configuration file and possibly gain privileges via vectors involving "special and control characters." Affected products include: Systemd Project Systemd, Debian Debian Linux.
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- Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources
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Severity by source
AV:L/AC:H/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:P
Primary rating from NVD · only source for this CVE.
CVSS VectorNVD
DescriptionCVE.org
The SetX11Keyboard function in systemd, when PolicyKit Local Authority (PKLA) is used to change the group permissions on the X Keyboard Extension (XKB) layouts description, allows local users in the group to modify the Xorg X11 Server configuration file and possibly gain privileges via vectors involving "special and control characters."
Threat Intelligence Overview
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
How this decision was reached
The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
Privilege escalation occurs when an attacker leverages flaws in access control mechanisms to gain permissions beyond what they were originally granted.
Affected Products (CPE)CVE.org
Stack-based buffer overflow in the getpwnam and getgrnam functions of the NSS module nss-mymachines in systemd. Rated cr
Integer overflow in the valid_user_field function in journal/journald-native.c in systemd allows remote attackers to cau
systemd before 247 does not adequately block local privilege escalation for some Sudo configurations, e.g., plausible su
A flaw in systemd v228 in /src/basic/fs-util.c caused world writable suid files to be created when using the systemd tim
It was discovered that a systemd service that uses DynamicUser property can get new privileges through the execution of
It was discovered that a systemd service that uses DynamicUser property can create a SUID/SGID binary that would be allo
A vulnerability in unit_deserialize of systemd allows an attacker to supply arbitrary state across systemd re-execution
systemd-tmpfiles in systemd through 237 mishandles symlinks present in non-terminal path components, which allows local
basic/unit-name.c in systemd prior to 246.15, 247.8, 248.5, and 249.1 has a Memory Allocation with an Excessive Size Val
In systemd before v242-rc4, it was discovered that pam_systemd does not properly sanitize the environment before using t
A race condition in chown_one() of systemd allows an attacker to cause systemd to set arbitrary permissions on arbitrary
systemd v233 and earlier fails to safely parse usernames starting with a numeric digit (e.g. Rated critical severity (CV
GitHub PoC
Exploit-DB