dbcve.org
OpenlinuxOperating system · Caldera

CVE-2000-0374

HIGH · 10.0 CVSS v2.0 Published 1999-08-22
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
The default configuration of kdm in Caldera and Mandrake Linux, and possibly other distributions, allows XDMCP connections from any host, which allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information or bypass additional access restrictions.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

The KDE Display Manager (kdm) default configuration on Caldera and Mandrake Linux (and potentially other distributions) enabled XDMCP (X Display Manager Control Protocol) to accept connections from any host without restriction, allowing remote unauthenticated attackers to obtain sensitive information or bypass intended access controls.

MitigationRestrict XDMCP access by configuring kdm to only accept connections from specific authorized hosts, or disable XDMCP entirely if not required for the environment.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
OpenlinuxOperating system
Affected:= 2.2= 2.3

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete

AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Verify kdm is installed
    Check for the presence of kdm binary or package: rpm -qa | grep -i kdm or ls /usr/bin/kdm /usr/sbin/kdm
    Affected if kdm package or binary exists on the system
  2. Locate kdm configuration file
    Look for kdmrc in /etc/kde/kdm/, /etc/, or check Caldera default paths; common locations: /etc/kde/kdm/kdmrc or /etc/kdmrc
    Affected if kdm configuration file exists (vulnerability only applies if kdm is configured)
  3. Check if XDMCP is enabled
    In the kdmrc file, search for the [Xdmcp] section and the Enable key; look for Enable=true or Enable=1
    Affected if XDMCP is enabled (Enable=true or Enable=1 in the config)
  4. Verify XDMCP access control configuration
    In the [Xdmcp] section, check XdmcpAllowHosts or Xaccess setting; examine if it allows all hosts (0.0.0.0, *, empty, or broadcast) or is absent (defaulting to unrestricted)
    Affected if XdmcpAllowHosts is absent, set to broadcast, or explicitly allows all/any hosts (indicating unrestricted access)
  5. Check kdm startup configuration
    Review /etc/inittab or runlevel config for kdm being started as the display manager; also check for xdm-config or kdm options in init scripts
    Affected if kdm is configured as the active display manager for the system

A system is affected if kdm is installed with XDMCP enabled and the access control is either absent or configured to allow connections from any host, without explicit restriction to specific authorized hosts.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Restrict XDMCP access by configuring kdm to only accept connections from specific authorized hosts, or disable XDMCP entirely if not required for the environment.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence
  1. Locate the kdm configuration file, typically at /etc/kde/kdm/kdmrc or /etc/kdm/kdmrc
  2. Open the configuration file in a text editor with root privileges
  3. Find the [XDMCP] section in the configuration file
  4. Set Enable=false to disable XDMCP completely, OR
  5. If XDMCP is needed, set Enable=true and add allowed hosts under the Hosts= directive (e.g., Hosts=localhost,192.168.1.0/24)
  6. Remove or comment out any wildcard entries like Hosts=*
  7. Save the configuration file
  8. Restart the kdm service or reboot the system for changes to take effect

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Openlinux Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
7.0 hours of engineering $1,240
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Scan for this in your stack

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2000-0374 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data