CVE-2006-6683
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 · uneditedPedro Lineu Orso chetcpasswd 2.4.1 and earlier verifies and updates user accounts via custom code that processes /etc/shadow and does not follow the PAM configuration, which might allow remote attackers to bypass intended restrictions implemented through PAM.
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 confidencechetcpasswd 2.4.1 and earlier directly processes /etc/shadow using custom authentication code rather than invoking PAM (Pluggable Authentication Modules), allowing remote attackers to bypass security restrictions (such as account lockout, password complexity requirements, and other PAM-enforced policies) that would normally protect the authentication process.
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<= 2.4.1= 1.12= 2.1= 2.2.1= 2.3.1= 2.3.3CVSS 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
- None
- Availability
- None
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:N/A:N
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 if chetcpasswd is installedSearch for the chetcpasswd binary on the system using commands such as 'which chetcpasswd', 'find /usr -name chetcpasswd', or 'rpm -qa | grep -i chetcpasswd' for RPM-based systemsAffected if The chetcpasswd binary is found on the system and its version is 2.4.1 or earlier, or matches any of these versions: 1.12, 2.1, 2.2.1, 2.3.1, or 2.3.3
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Determine the installed versionRun 'chetcpasswd --version' or check the package management system for the installed version numberAffected if The returned version is 2.4.1 or lower, or specifically 1.12, 2.1, 2.2.1, 2.3.1, or 2.3.3
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Locate configuration filesSearch for chetcpasswd configuration files in typical locations like /etc, /etc/chetcpasswd, or the application's config directory using 'find /etc -name *chetcpasswd*'Affected if Configuration files exist indicating chetcpasswd is configured for use on the system
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Check if the service is active or accessibleReview running processes for chetcpasswd, check inetd/xinetd configuration for chetcpasswd entries, or look for web server configurations if it has a web interfaceAffected if The chetcpasswd service is running, enabled, or accessible via network services (inetd, xinetd, or web server)
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Verify authentication bypass conditionExamine configuration or source code to confirm the application reads /etc/shadow directly rather than invoking PAM for authenticationAffected if The configuration or implementation shows direct /etc/shadow processing instead of PAM module invocation
The environment is affected if chetcpasswd version 2.4.1 or earlier is installed, configured, and actively processing authentication by reading /etc/shadow directly rather than using PAM.
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 to a version that properly utilizes PAM for authentication, or if no patched version exists, restrict network exposure to the service and implement compensating controls such as external firewall rules or alternative authentication mechanisms.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2006-6683 — 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-2006-6683 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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