HIGH CVE-2015-3246

Red Hat Libuser Race Condition Vulnerability

Published by Tech Mentor Threat Intelligence Team
// Technical Threat Dossier
Vulnerability ID (CVE ID): CVE-2015-3246
Estimated Severity Level: HIGH
Affected Systems & Software:
  • Red Hat Libuser
Patch / Update Availability: 2026-08-26

Threat Scope & Field Impact:

Cybersecurity threat intelligence monitors have confirmed active in-the-wild exploitation of CVE-2015-3246 targeting Red Hat Libuser. Successful exploitation allows threat actors to compromise application integrity and threaten user data confidentiality.

Technical Advisory Summary: Red Hat libuser contains a race condition vulnerability that allows authenticated local users to corrupt the /etc/passwd file to cause a denial of service or privilege escalation.

CISA KEV Catalog: Officially cataloged by CISA as actively weaponized against production targets.

Recommended Mitigation & Action:

  • Required Vendor Action: Apply mitigations in accordance with vendor instructions, ensuring compliance with CISA’s BOD 26-04 Prioritizing Security Updates Based on Risk (see URL in Notes) guidance and CISA’s “Forensics Triage Requirements” (see URL in Notes). Follow applicable BOD 26-04 guidance for cloud services or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable. Stakeholders are responsible for evaluating each asset's internet exposure and ensuring adherence to BOD 26-04 patching guidelines.
  • Remediation Timeline: Apply security patches immediately (Federal Remediation Due Date: 2026-09-09).
  • Defensive Telemetry: We advise journalists, frontline defenders, and civil society organizations utilizing this platform to inspect updates and isolate unpatched endpoints.
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