--- title: "CVE-2005-4890\n | Ubuntu" description: Ubuntu is an open source software operating system that runs from the desktop, to the cloud, to all your internet connected things. url: https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2005-4890?format=md keywords: index, follow --- # CVE-2005-4890 Publication date 4 November 2019 Last updated 25 August 2025 --- Ubuntu priority **Low** [Why this priority?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#priority ) ## Cvss 3 Severity Score **7.8 · High** [Score breakdown](https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2005-4890?format=md#impact-score) Toggle side navigation ## Description There is a possible tty hijacking in shadow 4.x before 4.1.5 and sudo 1.x before 1.7.4 via "su - user -c program". The user session can be escaped to the parent session by using the TIOCSTI ioctl to push characters into the input buffer to be read by the next process. [Read the notes from the security team](https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2005-4890?format=md#notes) ## Status Show unmaintained releases | Package | Ubuntu Release | Status | | --- | --- | --- | | shadow | 21.04 hirsute | Not affected | | 20.10 groovy | Not affected | | 20.04 LTS focal | Not affected | | 19.10 eoan | Not affected | | 19.04 disco | Not affected | | 18.10 cosmic | Not affected | | 18.04 LTS bionic | Not affected | | 17.10 artful | Not affected | | 17.04 zesty | Not affected | | 16.10 yakkety | Not affected | | 16.04 LTS xenial | Not affected | | 15.10 wily | Not affected | | 15.04 vivid | Not affected | | 14.10 utopic | Not affected | | 14.04 LTS trusty | Not affected | | 13.10 saucy | Ignored end of life | | 13.04 raring | Ignored end of life | | 12.10 quantal | Ignored end of life | | 12.04 LTS precise | Ignored end of life | | 11.10 oneiric | Ignored end of life | | 11.04 natty | Ignored end of life | | 10.10 maverick | Ignored end of life | | 10.04 LTS lucid | Ignored end of life | | 8.04 LTS hardy | Ignored end of life | | sudo | 21.04 hirsute | Not affected | | 20.10 groovy | Not affected | | 20.04 LTS focal | Not affected | | 19.10 eoan | Not affected | | 19.04 disco | Not affected | | 18.10 cosmic | Not affected | | 18.04 LTS bionic | Not affected | | 17.10 artful | Not affected | | 17.04 zesty | Not affected | | 16.10 yakkety | Not affected | | 16.04 LTS xenial | Not affected | | 15.10 wily | Not affected | | 15.04 vivid | Not affected | | 14.10 utopic | Not affected | | 14.04 LTS trusty | Not affected | | 13.10 saucy | Not affected | | 13.04 raring | Not affected | | 12.10 quantal | Not affected | | 12.04 LTS precise | Not affected | | 11.10 oneiric | Ignored end of life | | 11.04 natty | Ignored end of life | | 10.10 maverick | Ignored end of life | | 10.04 LTS lucid | Ignored end of life | | 8.04 LTS hardy | Ignored end of life | --- * [How can I get the fixes?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#security) * [What do statuses mean?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#statuses) * [Patch details](https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2005-4890?format=md#patch-details) ## Notes --- ### [mdeslaur](https://launchpad.net/~mdeslaur) sudo is also apprently vulnerable to this, so the use\_pty option was added. We need to verify versions, and make sure it is actually getting honored (apparently the option wasn't working: http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2011/06/22/4) --- ### [jdstrand](https://launchpad.net/~jdstrand) sudo in 12.04 and higher has the fix for use\_pty. A small patch (http://www.sudo.ws/repos/sudo/rev/8d95a163dfc1) can be used to enable it on Ubuntu 11.04 and 11.10. --- ### [mdeslaur](https://launchpad.net/~mdeslaur) Please note that use\_pty is not enabled by default in sudo, it must be specifically enabled. --- ### [seth-arnold](https://launchpad.net/~seth-arnold) su interactive has the same problem, no fix known on 20130305 ### Patch details For informational purposes only. We recommend not to cherry-pick updates. [How can I get the fixes?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#security) | Package | Patch details | | --- | --- | | sudo | * Upstream: * Upstream: * Upstream: * Upstream: | ## Severity score breakdown CVSS version: CVSS v3.0 **Base score** 7.8 · High * Base metrics | Parameter | Value | | --- | --- | | Attack vector | Local | | Attack complexity | Low | | Privileges required | Low | | User interaction | None | | Scope | Unchanged | | Confidentiality impact | High | | Integrity impact | High | | Availability impact | High | * Scores | Parameter | Value | | --- | --- | | Base score | 7.8 · High | | Exploitability score | - | | Impact score | - | **Vector:** CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H ## References * [MITRE](https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2005-4890) * [NVD](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2005-4890) * [Launchpad](https://launchpad.net/bugs/cve/CVE-2005-4890) * [Debian](https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2005-4890) ### Other references * * * * *