ZenworksApplication · Novell

CVE-2005-1543

HIGH · 7.5 CVSS v2.0 Published 2005-05-25
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
84/100
Remediation priority · High
High EPSS 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
Multiple stack-based and heap-based buffer overflows in Remote Management authentication (zenrem32.exe) on Novell ZENworks 6.5 Desktop and Server Management, ZENworks for Desktops 4.x, ZENworks for Servers 3.x, and Remote Management allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via (1) unspecified vectors, (2) type 1 authentication requests, and (3) type 2 authentication requests.

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

Multiple stack-based and heap-based buffer overflows in the Remote Management component (zenrem32.exe) of Novell ZENworks allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via malformed authentication requests (types 1, 2, and unspecified vectors). The vulnerability is exploitable over the network without authentication.

MitigationApply vendor patches for affected ZENworks versions or upgrade to supported versions; if patches unavailable, restrict network access to Remote Management ports via firewall or disable the service until remediation is possible.

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
ZenworksApplication
Affected:= 6.5
Zenworks DesktopsApplication
Affected:= 3.2= 4.0= 4.0.1
Zenworks Remote ManagementApplication
Affected:all versions
Zenworks Server ManagementApplication
Affected:= 6.5
Zenworks ServersApplication
Affected:= 3.2

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
Partial
Integrity
Partial
Availability
Partial

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

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 zenrem32.exe is present
    Search for the file zenrem32.exe on the system. Common locations include the ZENworks installation directory (e.g., C:\Novell\ZENworks\ or C:\Program Files\Novell\ZENworks\). Use file search or check installation directories.
    Affected if The file exists on the system, indicating the Remote Management component is installed.
  2. Determine installed ZENworks version
    Check the installed version of Novell ZENworks. This can be done via Add/Remove Programs in Windows, or by checking version information in the ZENworks installation directory. Compare the version to the affected ranges: ZENworks 6.5, ZENworks Desktops 3.2/4.0/4.0.1, or ZENworks Servers 3.2.
    Affected if The installed version is 6.5, 4.0.1, 4.0, 3.2, or any version of Zenworks Remote Management.
  3. Confirm Remote Management service is running
    Check if the Remote Management service is enabled and running. On Windows, open Services (services.msc) and look for services related to ZENworks Remote Management or ZENworks Remote Control. Also check for zenrem32.exe as a running process in Task Manager.
    Affected if The Remote Management service is running or the zenrem32.exe process is active.
  4. Identify listening ports for Remote Management
    Check for open ports associated with ZENworks Remote Management. Use netstat -an or a port scanner to look for ports typically used by Remote Management (commonly TCP 1761, 2710, or similar). This can be done locally with netstat or remotely with a network scanner.
    Affected if Ports used by ZENworks Remote Management are open and listening on network interfaces.

The system is affected if ZENworks with the Remote Management component (zenrem32.exe) is installed and the Remote Management service is running, regardless of version since all versions of Zenworks Remote Management are vulnerable.

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.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply vendor patches for affected ZENworks versions or upgrade to supported versions; if patches unavailable, restrict network access to Remote Management ports via firewall or disable the service until remediation is possible.

Fix this in Zenworks Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation6.0 h
  • Implementation12.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
27.0 hours of engineering $4,800
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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-2005-1543 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
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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