CVE-2022-31256

Root privilege escalation via attacker-controlled PID-file link

Published Oct 26, 2022 · Updated May 9, 2025

Link following in openSUSE Factory sendmail before 8.17.1-1.1 allows local users to escalate from the mail account to root. The SUSE-specific sm-client.pre script creates sm-client.pid in a mail-account-controlled spool directory without rejecting symbolic links before privileged file access. Control of the mail account and local execution are required; a crafted link redirects the privileged PID-file operation and grants root privileges.

CVSS severity7.7
High
EPSS probability0.24%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Link following in openSUSE Factory sendmail before 8.17.1-1.1 allows local users to escalate from the mail account to root. The SUSE-specific sm-client.pre script creates sm-client.pid in a mail-account-controlled spool directory without rejecting symbolic links before privileged file access. Control of the mail account and local execution are required; a crafted link redirects the privileged PID-file operation and grants root privileges.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-31256
Published
Oct 26, 2022
Updated
May 9, 2025
Vendor
SUSE
Product
openSUSE Factory
Classifications
CWE-59, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
Unavailable

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 26, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. May 9, 2025Record 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=sendmail <8.17.1-1.1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesUnavailable in this record.

What is affected?

SUSE · openSUSE Factoryversion=sendmail <8.17.1-1.1

Published CVSS scores

7.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.7SUSE CNACVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N

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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
PrivilegesUnavailable
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-59Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')
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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