sccache vulnerable to privilege escalation if server is run as root

Exploitation

No confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next marks exploitation only from CISA KEV.

CVSS 4.0

7.3 · CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:P · score source

EPSS

• CVE-2023-1521: 0.36% estimated exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 30.18 (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-03). This is a model estimate, not proof of exploitation or customer exposure.

As published by the source; long descriptions are shortened.

Impact On Linux the sccache client can execute arbitrary code with the privileges of a local sccache server, by preloading the code in a shared library passed to LDPRELOAD. If the server is run as root (which is the default when installing the snap package), this means a user running the sccache client can get root privileges. Patches Upgrade to 0.4.0 Workarounds Don't run sccache server as root. GitHub Security Lab number GHSL-2023-046

Published by the source

30 May 2023, 20:06 UTC

Last modified by the source

26 Jan 2025, 16:43 UTC

Source last checked

26 Oct 2026, 15:38 UTC

1. Revision 1 · created · 26 Oct 2026

   Published from ghsa record GHSA-x7fr-pg8f-93f5

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# Patch Next advisory brief: CVE-2023-1521

Advisory: sccache vulnerable to privilege escalation if server is run as root
IDs: CVE-2023-1521, GHSA-x7fr-pg8f-93f5
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/cve-2023-1521 (revision 1, source checked 26 Oct 2026, 15:38 UTC)
Inventory: none attached. This brief comes from a public page and does not say whether any deployment is affected.
Severity: High (CVSS 7.3)
Exploitation: no confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next confirms exploitation only from CISA KEV.
Vendor response: Vendor fix available; fixed versions by package: sccache 0.4.0. A vendor fix does not mean a deployment is fixed.

## Affected components
- crates.io sccache: affected < 0.4.0; fixed in 0.4.0

## Suggested inspection (read-only)
- crates.io sccache: check the installed version with your package manager.

## Supported action
Upgrade each affected component to a fixed version on its release line. For a transitive dependency, upgrade the parent package or add an override or constraint, then regenerate the lockfile. Redeploy every environment that ran an affected version.

## Required regression checks
- Run the test suite and a production build.
- Exercise the features that depend on sccache.
- Repeat the inspection and confirm that only fixed versions remain installed.

## Rollback considerations
- Keep the previous lockfile and deployment artifact. Rolling back reinstates the vulnerable version, so apply any documented mitigation while you fix forward.

## Unresolved questions
- Which deployments run an affected version?
- Exploitation status can change. Check again before lowering the priority.
- Mark the work resolved only after the fixed version is verified in production.

## Sources
- Verified: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-x7fr-pg8f-93f5 (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-x7fr-pg8f-93f5 lists affected ranges: crates.io sccache >=0 <0.4.0)

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