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Pam LdapApplication · Padl Software

CVE-2003-0734

HIGH · 10.0 CVSS v2.0 Published 2003-10-20
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 162 or later.
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
Unknown vulnerability in the pam_filter mechanism in pam_ldap before version 162, when LDAP based authentication is being used, allows users to bypass host-based access restrictions and log onto the system.

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 pam_ldap module before version 162 contains a vulnerability in its pam_filter mechanism that allows users to bypass host-based access restrictions when LDAP-based authentication is configured. This enables unauthorized users to log onto systems that should be restricted based on hostname or IP address controls.

MitigationUpgrade pam_ldap to version 162 or later to patch the pam_filter bypass vulnerability. Additionally, verify host-based access controls are functioning correctly after the upgrade.

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
Pam LdapApplication
Affected:<= 162

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. Identify pam_ldap installation
    Search for the pam_ldap module on the system. Common locations include /lib/security/pam_ldap.so or /lib64/security/pam_ldap.so. Use commands like 'find /lib -name *pam_ldap*' or check the system's PAM configuration files in /etc/pam.d/ that reference 'pam_ldap.so'.
    Affected if The pam_ldap module is found on the system and used for authentication.
  2. Determine pam_ldap version
    If the module file exists, check its version information using 'rpm -q pam_ldap' or 'dpkg -l pam_ldap' depending on the package manager. Alternatively, use 'modinfo' on the shared object file if available, or check the Padl Software website for version 162 release details.
    Affected if The installed version is 162 or lower, indicating the vulnerable code is present.
  3. Verify LDAP authentication is configured
    Examine PAM configuration files in /etc/pam.d/ (such as system-auth, login, sshd, or other service files) for entries using 'pam_ldap.so' with the 'auth' or 'account' module types.
    Affected if PAM configurations reference pam_ldap.so for authentication or account validation, enabling the attack vector.
  4. Check if pam_filter is in use
    Review the /etc/ldap.conf or /etc/pam_ldap.conf configuration file for 'pam_filter' directives that enforce host-based access restrictions. Look for filter attributes such as 'host', 'ipHostNumber', or similar LDAP attributes used to restrict access by hostname or IP.
    Affected if A pam_filter directive is configured to restrict access by host, and this filter can be bypassed in versions <= 162.

A user is affected if pam_ldap version 162 or lower is installed and configured with pam_filter for host-based access control in their LDAP authentication setup.

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
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 162
Interim mitigation

Upgrade pam_ldap to version 162 or later to patch the pam_filter bypass vulnerability. Additionally, verify host-based access controls are functioning correctly after the upgrade.

Recommended fix High confidence

pam_ldap version 162 or later (or latest available in your distribution's repository)

  1. 1. Identify the currently installed pam_ldap version using package manager or: `rpm -qa | grep pam_ldap` or `dpkg -l | grep pam-ldap`
  2. 2. If the version is 162 or lower, upgrade to the latest stable pam_ldap package available from your distribution's repository
  3. 3. For Mandriva Linux, use: `urpmi pam_ldap` to install the latest version
  4. 4. For other distributions, use respective package managers (yum, apt, etc.) to update pam_ldap
  5. 5. After upgrading, verify the new version is installed: `rpm -qa | grep pam_ldap`
  6. 6. Test LDAP authentication to ensure the pam_ldap module functions correctly after the upgrade
Caveat Minor - pam_ldap is a mature module with stable API; however, always test in non-production environment first to verify LDAP authentication works correctly with your configuration

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

Fix this in Pam Ldap Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
8.0 hours of engineering $1,390
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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-2003-0734 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data