CVE-2021-31998

Root privilege escalation via user-owned upgrade script

Published Jun 10, 2021 · Updated Sep 16, 2024

Incorrect default permissions in SUSE and openSUSE inn packaging allow local users to escalate from the news account to root during updates. The root-run RPM %post script calls a user-owned innupgrade file instead of dropping to the news account before execution. Control of the news account and a package update are required; successful exploitation executes attacker-controlled code with root privileges.

CVSS severity6.8
Medium
EPSS probability0.32%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Incorrect default permissions in SUSE and openSUSE inn packaging allow local users to escalate from the news account to root during updates. The root-run RPM %post script calls a user-owned innupgrade file instead of dropping to the news account before execution. Control of the news account and a package update are required; successful exploitation executes attacker-controlled code with root privileges.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-31998
Published
Jun 10, 2021
Updated
Sep 16, 2024
Vendor
OpenSUSE
Product
openSUSE Leap
Classifications
CWE-276, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jun 10, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 16, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=inn <2.6.2

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

OpenSUSE · openSUSE Leapversion=inn <2.6.2
OpenSUSE · openSUSE Backports SLE-15-SP2version=inn <2.6.2
SUSE · SUSE Linux Enterprise Serverversion=inn <=inn-2.4.2-170.21.3.1

Published CVSS scores

7.8NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
6.8SUSE CNACVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:N
7.3SUSECVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.2NVDAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-276Incorrect Default Permissions
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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