Denial of Service in fscrypt PAM module
Summary
CVE-2022-25327: Denial of service via insufficient metadata validation. Affects github.com/google/fscrypt versions < 0.3.3. Fixed in 0.3.3. How to fix ↓
Also tracked for
- fscrypt · Debian:11
The same CVE-2022-25327 is tracked separately for each ecosystem and vendor. Its fix information is the same; the package and affected versions differ.
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Background
The fscrypt package is a Go library that provides support for file system encryption on Linux. It includes a PAM module that allows users to log in using their encrypted file system credentials. The PAM module interacts with the fscrypt metadata files to authenticate users. These metadata files contain information about the encrypted file system and the user's encryption keys. However, prior to version 0.3.3, the PAM module did not adequately validate these metadata files, making it possible for a local user to create malicious metadata files that could prevent other users from logging in.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability, identified as CVE-2022-25327, allows an attacker to create a specially crafted fscrypt metadata file that can cause a denial of service (DoS) condition. By creating a malicious metadata file, an attacker can prevent other users from logging into the system. This vulnerability can be exploited by a local user with access to the affected system. The impact of this vulnerability is limited to a DoS condition and does not allow for remote code execution or privilege escalation.
How To Fix
Latest published version: v0.3.7 as of 22 Oct 2026
go get github.com/google/fscrypt@v0.3.7Upgrading to it may include breaking changes; the version below is the minimum fixed release for this vulnerability.
If you need the minimum change
0.3.3
This is the first release that contains the fix.
go get github.com/google/fscrypt@v0.3.3Tip — Not sure which version your app runs? Vulert can match this fix to it. Scan free →
Workaround
There is no known workaround for this vulnerability. It is necessary to upgrade to the fixed version of the fscrypt package to mitigate the risk.
Conclusion
The fscrypt PAM module prior to version 0.3.3 is vulnerable to a denial of service attack through malicious fscrypt metadata files. To mitigate this vulnerability, users should upgrade to version 0.3.3 or above. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability. For further support on vulnerability remediation, please contact DevNack.com.
See every vulnerability recorded for github.com/google/fscrypt →
FAQ
The vulnerability allows a local user to create malicious fscrypt metadata files that can prevent other users from logging into the system. This can lead to a denial of service condition, where legitimate users are unable to access their encrypted file systems.
No, this vulnerability can only be exploited by a local user with access to the affected system. It does not allow for remote code execution or privilege escalation.
There are no known instances of this vulnerability being exploited in the wild at the time of this advisory. However, it is recommended to upgrade to the fixed version to mitigate the risk.
Yes, a patch is available in version 0.3.3 of the fscrypt package. Users should update their installations to this version or above to fix the vulnerability.
You can find more information about this vulnerability in the CVE-2022-25327 advisory at https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-25327.
References
Related vulnerabilities
Recent vulnerabilities recorded for github.com/google/fscrypt.
