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EdirectoryApplication · Novell

CVE-2008-3159

HIGH · 10.0 CVSS v2.0 Published 2008-07-14
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
Integer overflow in ds.dlm, as used by dhost.exe, in Novell eDirectory 8.7.3.10 before 8.7.3 SP10b and 8.8 before 8.8.2 ftf2 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors that trigger a stack-based buffer overflow, related to "flawed arithmetic."

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

Integer overflow in the ds.dlm module (used by dhost.exe) in Novell eDirectory allows remote attackers to trigger a stack-based buffer overflow via flawed arithmetic operations, leading to arbitrary code execution. The vulnerability exists in versions 8.7.3.10 before 8.7.3 SP10b and 8.8 before 8.8.2 ftf2.

MitigationUpgrade Novell eDirectory to version 8.7.3 SP10b or later, or 8.8.2 ftf2 or later. If immediate patching is not possible, consider restricting network access to the dhost.exe service port or disabling the affected component until the upgrade can be applied.

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
EdirectoryApplication
Affected:= 8.7.3= 8.8

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 Novell eDirectory is installed
    Check for the presence of Novell eDirectory installation directories or check installed programs on the system. Look for directories such as \Novell\eDirectory or typical eDirectory installation paths.
    Affected if Novell eDirectory software is found on the system
  2. Identify installed eDirectory version
    Run the ndsdiagnose command with version information, or check the registry for eDirectory version keys, or inspect the ds.dlm file version property if accessible.
    Affected if The installed version is 8.7.3.x (before SP10b) or 8.8.x (before ftf2)
  3. Confirm dhost.exe service is running
    Check running processes or services for dhost.exe, which is the service that utilizes the vulnerable ds.dlm module. Use tasklist or service management tools.
    Affected if dhost.exe process or service is active on the system
  4. Check if ds.dlm module is loaded
    Inspect loaded modules associated with dhost.exe process, or check for the presence of ds.dlm in the eDirectory bin or system directory.
    Affected if The ds.dlm module is present and loaded by the dhost service

The system is affected if Novell eDirectory version 8.7.3.x before SP10b or version 8.8.x before ftf2 is installed AND the dhost.exe service utilizing ds.dlm is running.

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

Upgrade Novell eDirectory to version 8.7.3 SP10b or later, or 8.8.2 ftf2 or later. If immediate patching is not possible, consider restricting network access to the dhost.exe service port or disabling the affected component until the upgrade can be applied.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

8.7.3 SP10b or 8.8.2 ftf2 (depending on existing branch)

  1. 1. Identify the current eDirectory version by checking dhost.exe or ds.dlm version information
  2. 2. For eDirectory 8.7.3.x: Upgrade to version 8.7.3 SP10b or later
  3. 3. For eDirectory 8.8.x: Upgrade to version 8.8.2 ftf2 or later
  4. 4. Download the appropriate patch from Novell's support portal (support.novell.com)
  5. 5. Apply the patch following Novell's standard eDirectory patch installation procedures
  6. 6. Restart the dhost.exe service after applying the patch
  7. 7. Verify the ds.dlm version matches the fixed release (8.7.3.10 or 8.8.2)
Caveat Review Novell eDirectory release notes for the target version to check for configuration or compatibility changes before upgrading

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

Fix this in Edirectory Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
20.0 hours of engineering $3,500
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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-2008-3159 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