# CVE-2026-44712: mcdope pam_usb command injection in pamusb-conf and pamusb-agent

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-44712-mcdope-pam-usb-command-injection-in-pamusb-conf-and-pamusb-agent  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-05-27. Updated: 2026-05-27  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-44712 · Severity: high · CVSS 8.2 · Published 2026-05-27

pam_usb is a tool that allows users to log into Linux systems using a standard USB drive as a physical security key. A vulnerability in how the software handles device identifiers and usernames allows an attacker to execute malicious commands with root-level privileges. This could occur if a user connects a specially prepared USB device or if an attacker modifies the system's configuration file, potentially leading to a full system takeover.

Technologies: [Mcdope Pam Usb](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/pam-usb). Vendors: [Mcdope](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/mcdope).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-44712 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-44712 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-44712?** High severity, with a CVSS score of 8.2, published 27 May 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Mcdope Pam Usb < 0.8.7.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-44712?** No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.

**How is CVE-2026-44712 attacked?** It is attacked with local access or with physical access, in a software library.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-44712?** Check whether you run Mcdope Pam Usb at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## Technical details

Two command injection vulnerabilities exist in the Python helper tools of pam_usb. In 'pamusb-conf', the device UUID is read from the XML configuration and interpolated into a shell command via 'subprocess.check_output' with 'shell=True'. In 'pamusb-agent', the 'userName' variable from the configuration is passed directly to 'os.system()'. An attacker with physical access can provide a USB device with a malicious filesystem UUID (e.g., containing shell metacharacters) to trigger execution during device setup, or an attacker with high privileges can modify the XML configuration to achieve a scope change and execute arbitrary commands as root. The issue is fixed in version 0.8.7 by implementing UUID validation and migrating to 'subprocess.run' without shell interpolation.

## Affected products

- mcdope pam_usb < 0.8.7

## Timeline

- 2026-05-07: advisory: GitHub advisory published by maintainer
- 2026-05-27: disclosed: CVE published to NVD

## References

- [https://github.com/mcdope/pam_usb/security/advisories/GHSA-jgv5-w6rm-7wxg](https://github.com/mcdope/pam_usb/security/advisories/GHSA-jgv5-w6rm-7wxg)

## Related threats

- [pam_usb heap out-of-bounds read in display server handling](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-64667-pam-usb-provides-hardware-authentication-for-linux-using)
- [pam_usb XRDP session bypass via environment variable](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-64666-pam-usb-provides-hardware-authentication-for-linux-using)
- [mcdope pam_usb symlink race condition in pad directory creation](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-48983-mcdope-pam-usb-symlink-race-condition-in-pad-directory-creation)
- [mcdope pam_usb race condition in one-time pad update](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-48982-mcdope-pam-usb-race-condition-in-one-time-pad-update)
- [mcdope pam_usb XXE in configuration file parsing](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-48981-mcdope-pam-usb-xxe-in-configuration-file-parsing)