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CVE-2010-2387: vicious-extensions/ve-misc.c in GNOME Display Manager (gdm) 2.20.x before 2.20.11, when GDM debug is enable...

vicious-extensions/ve-misc.c in GNOME Display Manager (gdm) 2.20.x before 2.20.11, when GDM debug is enabled, logs the user password when it contains invalid UTF8 encoded characters, which might allow local users to gain privileges by reading the information from syslog logs.

UnknownCVSS not scoredNot KEV-listedUpdated
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Glexia's Takemoderate

Analyst readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

GDM could write a user's password into syslog when debug logging was enabled and the password contained invalid UTF-8 characters. A local user able to read those logs could recover credentials and potentially escalate access. The issue affects GDM 2.20.x before 2.20.11.

Executive priority

Treat this as a targeted legacy-system credential exposure risk, not an internet-scale emergency. Prioritize any shared desktop, jump host, or administrative workstation where old GDM packages and readable logs may still exist.

Technical view

The flaw is in GDM's vicious-extensions/ve-misc.c handling of invalid UTF-8 during debug logging. Under the specific condition of enabled GDM debug logging, malformed password input may be logged to syslog. The source bundle identifies the fixed upstream version boundary as GDM 2.20.11.

Likely exposure

Exposure is most plausible on legacy Unix/Linux login hosts running GDM 2.20.x before 2.20.11 with debug enabled and locally readable syslog files. Systems without GDM debug logging enabled have lower practical exposure based on the supplied description.

Exploitation context

The bundle does not cite active exploitation, and KEV is false. Abuse requires local log access and the vulnerable debug logging condition. The main risk is credential disclosure from logs, which can become privilege escalation if exposed passwords are reusable or privileged.

Researcher notes

The key conditions are GDM 2.20.x before 2.20.11, debug enabled, invalid UTF-8 password content, and syslog readability. No CVSS, CWE, exploit evidence, or detailed vendor remediation beyond the fixed version boundary is provided in the bundle.

Mitigation direction

  • Upgrade GDM to 2.20.11 or a vendor-fixed package.
  • Disable GDM debug logging unless actively troubleshooting.
  • Restrict syslog and authentication log access to authorized administrators.
  • Rotate and protect logs that may contain exposed credentials.
  • Reset affected passwords if log disclosure is confirmed.
  • Check GNOME, Oracle, and distribution vendor guidance.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory hosts for GDM 2.20.x versions before 2.20.11.
  • Confirm whether GDM debug logging is enabled on legacy systems.
  • Review syslog access permissions for local non-admin users.
  • Check relevant logs for evidence of password disclosure.
  • Verify vendor package changelogs or advisories for the applied fix.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
7

Public sources used

Based on public source material and reviewed before publication.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

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Credential and access behavior lookup

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CVE-2010-2387 mapping review

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Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
Unknown
CVSS
Not scored
Known Exploited
No
Published
Official CVE source material

CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5

These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.

0CVSS vectors
0Timeline events
0ADP providers
9Source links

CVSS and timeline data

No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
n/an/an/aListed
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

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