CVE-2026-48982: mcdope pam_usb · Race Condition
Affects mcdope pam_usbSource CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 5.8 Medium : upgrade to 0.9.2 when convenient.
Data as of 31 Oct 2026, 08:20 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 1% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
- Patch
- Available – fixed in 0.9.2
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:LExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 18 Jun 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponized: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 30 Oct 2026.
What to do
Upgrade pam_usb and mcdope/pam_usb to 0.9.2.
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| mcdopepam_usb | Affected
| Fixed in
|
GitHubmcdope/pam_usbpkg:github/mcdope/pam_usbOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.
AI-suggested
Upgrade pam_usb to version 0.9.2 or later, where the race condition has been fixed by ensuring atomic file creation with the O_EXCL flag. No other mitigations are indicated.
Description
pam_usb provides hardware authentication for Linux using ordinary removable media. In versions prior to 0.9.2, when updating a one-time pad file, a temporary file is created using open() without the O_EXCL flag. Without O_EXCL, the create operation is not atomic: two concurrent processes racing to update the same pad may both succeed in opening the file, with the second write silently overwriting the first. The one-time pad is the core replay-prevention mechanism of pam_usb. A successful race could result in the stored pad value diverging from what either process expected, potentially causing authentication failures or, in a precisely timed attack, creating a window for pad reuse. This issue has been fixed in version 0.9.2.