CVE-2005-2641
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 · uneditedUnknown vulnerability in pam_ldap before 180 does not properly handle a new password policy control, which could allow attackers to gain privileges. NOTE: CVE-2005-2497 had also been assigned to this issue, but CVE-2005-2641 is the correct candidate.
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 · moderate confidencepam_ldap before version 180 contains a vulnerability in how it handles LDAP password policy controls. The improper handling allows attackers to bypass password policy enforcement and potentially gain elevated privileges by exploiting the password policy control processing logic.
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<= build_178CVSS 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify pam_ldap installationRun 'rpm -q pam_ldap' or 'dpkg -l | grep pam_ldap' to find the installed package, or check for the library file /lib/security/pam_ldap.so or /lib64/security/pam_ldap.soAffected if The package is not found (not installed) or the version number returned is lower than or equal to 178
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Determine exact pam_ldap versionIf installed via RPM, run 'rpm -qi pam_ldap' to get the full version details including build number. For source installations, check the file version or run 'ldd' on the pam_ldap.so libraryAffected if The version shows build_178 or any build number lower than 178, or the version string indicates a release prior to version 180
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Locate LDAP password policy configurationCheck /etc/ldap.conf or /etc/pam_ldap.conf for lines containing 'pam_password_prohibit_message' or 'nss_base_passwd' directives, and look for 'ssl' or 'tls' settings that indicate active LDAP communicationAffected if Password policy related directives are present in the LDAP configuration, meaning password policies would be enforced if pam_ldap were working correctly
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Verify password policy control processingInspect the PAM configuration files in /etc/pam.d/ (such as system-auth, login, sshd) for any 'pam_ldap.so' module entries, and check /etc/ldap.conf for 'pam_login_attribute' or similar policy-related settingsAffected if PAM stack uses pam_ldap and the LDAP configuration contains password policy controls - this means the vulnerable code path would be exercised during authentication
A system is affected if pam_ldap version 178 or earlier is installed AND the LDAP configuration uses password policy controls, allowing attackers to bypass password expiration, lockout, or complexity requirements.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 dataUpgrade pam_ldap to version 180 or later to obtain the fixed password policy control handling. Verify LDAP password policies are properly enforced after the upgrade.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,800.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2005-2641 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2005-2641 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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