CVE-2015-9542

Name: CVE-2015-9542
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2020-02-24T15:15:10.83+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

HIGHCVSS 7.5/10EPSS 3.45%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2015-9542 is a high-severity vulnerability rated 7.5/10 on the CVSS scale. add_password in pam_radius_auth.c in pam_radius 1.4.0 does not correctly check the length of the input password, and is vulnerable to a stack-based buffer overflow during memcpy(). An attacker could send a crafted password to an application (loading the pam_radius library) and crash it. EPSS estimates a 3.45% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

add_password in pam_radius_auth.c in pam_radius 1.4.0 does not correctly check the length of the input password, and is vulnerable to a stack-based buffer overflow during memcpy(). An attacker could send a crafted password to an application (loading the pam_radius library) and crash it. Arbitrary code execution might be possible, depending on the application, C library, compiler, and other factors.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

7.5/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

EPSS Probability

3.45%

87.5th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-787

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Freeradius	Pam Radius	1.4.0
Debian	Debian Linux	8.0
Debian	Debian Linux	9.0
Canonical	Ubuntu Linux	12.04
Canonical	Ubuntu Linux	14.04
Canonical	Ubuntu Linux	16.04
Canonical	Ubuntu Linux	18.04
Canonical	Ubuntu Linux	19.10

References

https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=CVE-2015-9542Issue Tracking, Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/FreeRADIUS/pam_radius/commit/01173ec2426627dbb1e0d96c06c3ffa0b14d36d0Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2020/02/msg00023.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2020/08/msg00000.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://usn.ubuntu.com/4290-1/Third Party Advisory
https://usn.ubuntu.com/4290-2/Third Party Advisory
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=CVE-2015-9542Issue Tracking, Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/FreeRADIUS/pam_radius/commit/01173ec2426627dbb1e0d96c06c3ffa0b14d36d0Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2020/02/msg00023.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2020/08/msg00000.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://usn.ubuntu.com/4290-1/Third Party Advisory
https://usn.ubuntu.com/4290-2/Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Feb 24, 2020
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2015-9542?

How severe is CVE-2015-9542?

CVE-2015-9542 has a CVSS score of 7.5/10 (HIGH severity). The EPSS model estimates a 3.45% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2015-9542?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

Are you affected by CVE-2015-9542?

Run a free Strix scan to check your systems for this vulnerability.

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST