CVE-2002-1227: PAM 0.76 treats a disabled password as if it were an empty (null) password, which allows local and remote atta

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HIGH 7.5DOWNGRADE

CVE-2002-1227 is a high-severity flaw (CVSS 7.5) affecting pam. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

PAM 0.76 treats a disabled password as if it were an empty (null) password, which allows local and remote attackers to gain privileges as disabled users.

Why this priority

High severity

No fix is published yet: follow the downgrade or mitigation steps.

Risk facts

CVSS score	7.5 (High)
EPSS exploit chance	2.4% (top 16%)
CISA exploited list	No
Published	2002-10-28
Last modified	2026-06-16

Publisher (CNA): MITRE · Vendor: pam

Last updated 2026-06-16 · Sources: CVE Program, NVD, CISA KEV, EPSS and vendor advisories · How we score

Am I affected?

Timeline

2002-10-28 05:00 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-16 21:58 UTCUpdated Record last modified

pam pam DOWNGRADE

Affected: 0.76

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 0.76

1. Check installed version

apt-cache policy pam || rpm -q pam || pam --version

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE to a release before 0.76 (Debian / Ubuntu)

apt-cache madison pam sudo apt install pam=<VERSION_BEFORE_0.76> sudo apt-mark hold pam

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

dnf --showduplicates list pam sudo dnf downgrade pam-<VERSION_BEFORE_0.76> sudo dnf versionlock add pam

Downgrade risk

Downgrading can break dependent software and may reopen older bugs. Read the distro advisory first and test on a non-production host.

After downgrade

Restart the service, and keep the package held until a fixed release ships.

Verify at the official source NVD · CVE Program · Report a problem with this page
Scores and fixes here are computed automatically from those and other public sources. Confirm with the vendor advisory before changing production systems.

Quick answers

How do I fix CVE-2002-1227?

pam: downgrade or apply the listed mitigation. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Is CVE-2002-1227 being exploited?

CVE-2002-1227 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.

What does CVE-2002-1227 affect?

CVE-2002-1227 affects pam. Severity is high (CVSS 7.5). PAM 0.76 treats a disabled password as if it were an empty (null) password, which allows local and remote attackers to gain privileges as disabled users.

How urgent is CVE-2002-1227?

Priority 47/100. High severity

Related CVEs

CVE-2005-2977 LOW 2.1 UPGRADE The SELinux version of PAM before 0.78 r3 allows local users to perform brute force password guessing attacks

References

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