Authentication bypass via flawed OTP pad handling
Published May 27, 2026 · Updated May 27, 2026
Improper authentication in mcdope pam_usb before 0.9.0 allows local users to bypass USB authentication through faulty OTP handling. The pusb_pad_compare() function in src/pad.c fails to require both pad files, while generateRandom() can write uninitialized stack bytes after a short /dev/random read. A local user can delete an unreadable user-side pad to avoid physical-device verification; RNG failures can also make stored pad data predictable or attacker-influenced.
Summary
What happened
Improper authentication in mcdope pam_usb before 0.9.0 allows local users to bypass USB authentication through faulty OTP handling. The pusb_pad_compare() function in src/pad.c fails to require both pad files, while generateRandom() can write uninitialized stack bytes after a short /dev/random read. A local user can delete an unreadable user-side pad to avoid physical-device verification; RNG failures can also make stored pad data predictable or attacker-influenced.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-47272
- Published
- May 27, 2026
- Updated
- May 27, 2026
- Vendor
- mcdope
- Product
- pam_usb
- Classifications
- CWE-908, CWE-287, T1556
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- May 27, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- May 27, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
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- Affected versionversion=< 0.9.0
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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