---
title: "CVE-2015-5287: Red Hat Automatic Bug Reporting Tool Privilege Escalation Vulnerability"
url: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2015-5287/
description: "CVE-2015-5287 (Red Hat Automatic Bug Reporting Tool): Exploited in the wild (CISA KEV). The abrt-hook-ccpp help program in Automatic Bug Reporting Tool…"
type: vulnerability-record
section: "Security Digest"
date_published: 2015-12-07
date_modified: 2026-08-27
publisher: erroneo.us
author: erroneo.us Security Desk
cve: "CVE-2015-5287"
kev: true
cvss: 7.8
epss: 0.05003
license: All rights reserved. Quote with attribution and a link.
---

# CVE-2015-5287: Red Hat Automatic Bug Reporting Tool Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

**Signal:** Exploited: patch now if you run it. CISA has confirmed exploitation in the wild. (Computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS; not an editorial verdict.)

## Should you act?

- Yes, if you run Red Hat Automatic Bug Reporting Tool. CISA added this CVE to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2026-08-26, which means there is reliable evidence of exploitation in the wild. US federal agencies must remediate by 2026-09-09 ; treat that as the outer limit, not the target.
- EPSS 5.0% , percentile 92: FIRST’s model estimates a 5.0% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 92% of all scored CVEs (elevated). EPSS is a probability, not a verdict.
- Needs local access needed. Lower urgency for most teams unless an attacker could already run code on the machine.
- Editorial verdict: Most can relax. ABRT CVE-2015-5287: 2015 RHEL 7 Local Root Bug Now in KEV — This is a ten-year-old local root bug that any RHEL 7 or CentOS 7 host updated since late 2015 already has fixed; the KEV listing matters only for forgotten, never-patched machines, and those have bigger problems.

## What it is

The abrt-hook-ccpp help program in Automatic Bug Reporting Tool (ABRT) before 2.7.1 allows local users with certain permissions to gain privileges via a symlink attack on a file with a predictable name, as demonstrated by /var/tmp/abrt/abrt-hax-coredump or /var/spool/abrt/abrt-hax-coredump.

## Affected products (CVE record)

- n/a n/a: see advisory

## Severity

- CISA-ADP CVSS 3.1: 7.8 `CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`

## Exploitation

- CISA KEV: added 2026-08-26; federal due date 2026-09-09. Known ransomware use: Unknown.
- CISA required action: Apply mitigations in accordance with vendor instructions, ensuring compliance with CISA’s BOD 26-04 Prioritizing Security Updates Based on Risk (see URL in Notes) guidance and CISA’s “Forensics Triage Requirements” (see URL in Notes). Follow applicable BOD 26-04 guidance for cloud services or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable. Stakeholders are responsible for evaluating each asset's internet exposure and ensuring adherence to BOD 26-04 patching guidelines.
- CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation active , automatable no , technical impact total .
- FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 5.00% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 92.

## Sources

- [RHSA-2015:2505](http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2015-2505.html)
- [Listed in CISA KEV notes (github.com)](https://github.com/abrt/abrt/commit/3c1b60cfa62d39e5fff5a53a5bc53dae189e740e)
- [CVE.org record CVE-2015-5287](https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2015-5287)
- [NVD entry CVE-2015-5287](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2015-5287)
- [CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog entry](https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2015-5287)
- [Listed in CISA KEV notes (cisa.gov)](https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives/bod-26-04-prioritizing-security-updates-based-risk)
- [Listed in CISA KEV notes (cisa.gov)](https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives/bod-26-04-implementation-guidance-prioritizing-security-updates-based-risk)
- [38832](https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/38832/)
- [[oss-security] 20151201 CVE-2015-5273 + CVE-2015-5287, abrt local root in Centos/Fedora/RHEL](http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2015/12/01/1)
- [oracle.com](http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/topics/security/linuxbulletinoct2015-2719645.html)
- [bugzilla.redhat.com](https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1266837)
- [78137](http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/78137)
- [packetstormsecurity.com](http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/154592/ABRT-sosreport-Privilege-Escalation.html)
- [blog.talosintelligence.com](https://blog.talosintelligence.com/uat-10147-chinese-speaking-adversary-integrates-agentic-ai-into-post-compromise-operations/)

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Source page: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2015-5287/ · Security Digest: https://erroneo.us/security/ · More: https://erroneo.us/llms.txt