Critical AppArmor Security Update for openSUSE 15.4: CVE-2024-10041 Patch Guide

 

Urgent openSUSE 15.4 AppArmor security update fixes CVE-2024-10041, a PAM vulnerability risking shadow file exposure. Learn how to patch SUSE Linux Enterprise, HPC, and cloud systems now to prevent privilege escalation attacks."

Overview: Why This Update Matters

The latest openSUSE 15.4 advisory (2025:1549-1) addresses a moderate-risk security vulnerability in AppArmor, a Linux kernel security module. This patch resolves a critical permissions bypass issue (CVE-2024-10041) related to PAM (Pluggable Authentication Modules).

Key Fix:

• Grants dac_read_search capability to unix_chkpwd, allowing it to read shadow files even with 000 permissions.

• Prevents potential privilege escalation risks in enterprise environments.

🔒 Why Update Immediately?
This patch is essential for system administrators, DevOps teams, and cybersecurity professionals managing:

• Enterprise Linux servers

• Cloud infrastructure

• High-performance computing (HPC) clusters

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Step-by-Step Patch Installation Guide

Method 1: Recommended SUSE Update Tools

1. YaST Online Update (GUI)

2. Zypper Patch (CLI)

Method 2: Manual Patch Commands

Run the appropriate command for your distribution:

For openSUSE Leap 15.4:

bash

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zypper in -t patch SUSE-2025-1549=1  

For SUSE Linux Enterprise (SLE) Systems:

bash

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# SLE Micro 5.3  
zypper in -t patch SUSE-SLE-Micro-5.3-2025-1549=1  

# SLE Server 15 SP4 LTSS  
zypper in -t patch SUSE-SLE-Product-SLES-15-SP4-LTSS-2025-1549=1  

(Full command list for all supported distros available in the SUSE Security Portal.)

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Affected Packages & Enterprise Impact

Critical Packages Patched:

• apparmor-parser (v3.0.4)

• pam_apparmor (v3.0.4)

• libapparmor1 (v3.0.4)

• apache2-mod_apparmor (for web server security)

📌 Enterprise Systems at Risk:

• SUSE Manager Server/Proxy (v4.3)

• SAP Applications on SLE 15 SP4

• High-Performance Computing (HPC) Clusters

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Security Implications & Best Practices

CVE-2024-10041 Explained

This vulnerability could allow unauthorized access to shadow files, compromising user credential security. The patch enforces stricter capability-based permissions.

✅ Recommended Actions:

1. Apply the patch immediately if using PAM-based authentication.

2. Audit user permissions on /etc/shadow.

3. Monitor logs for suspicious access attempts.

🔗 Official References:

• SUSE Security Advisory

• Bugzilla Report (bsc#1241678)

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FAQ: AppArmor Security Update

❓ Is this update mandatory for desktop users?
→ Yes, if your system uses PAM for authentication (most Linux systems do).

❓ Does this affect Docker/Kubernetes deployments?
→ Potentially, if running containerized workloads with PAM integration.

❓ How to verify the patch was applied?
→ Run:

bash

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rpm -q --changelog apparmor-parser | grep CVE-2024-10041