dbcve.org
NetwareOperating system · Novell

CVE-2008-5696

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2008-12-19
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 6.5 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
Novell NetWare 6.5 before Support Pack 8, when an OES2 Linux server is installed into the NDS tree, does not require a password for the ApacheAdmin console, which allows remote attackers to reconfigure the Apache HTTP Server via console operations.

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

Novell NetWare 6.5 with OES2 Linux installed into an NDS tree has a critical authentication bypass vulnerability in the ApacheAdmin console. The console does not require any password, allowing remote unauthenticated attackers to reconfigure the Apache HTTP Server. This affects versions before Support Pack 8.

MitigationApply NetWare 6.5 Support Pack 8 or later, which enforces authentication on the ApacheAdmin console. If immediate patching is not feasible, restrict network access to the console port via firewall rules or disable the ApacheAdmin interface entirely.

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
NetwareOperating system
Affected:<= 6.5= 6.5

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
M
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete

AV:N/AC:M/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 NetWare version
    Check system information or execute 'version' command at the NetWare console to confirm NetWare 6.5 is running
    Affected if The system is running NetWare 6.5 (any revision)
  2. Verify OES2 Linux installation in NDS tree
    Check if Open Enterprise Server 2 (OES2) for Linux is installed and configured within an NDS tree context. This can be verified via iManager or by checking for OES-related packages/daemons on the system
    Affected if OES2 Linux is installed and integrated into an NDS tree on this NetWare 6.5 system
  3. Confirm ApacheAdmin console accessibility
    Attempt to access the ApacheAdmin console via HTTP (typically ports 2200 or similar) from a remote system or check NetWare server console for ApacheAdmin module loading. The console URL is typically http://server:2200/apacheadmin/
    Affected if The ApacheAdmin console is accessible and responds without requiring authentication
  4. Check Support Pack level
    At the NetWare console, type 'supports' or check the Support Pack installation status via Novell iManager or the NetWare installer. Alternatively, check the SYS:/SYSTEM/ directory for SP version indicators
    Affected if Support Pack 7 or earlier is installed, or no Support Pack is applied

The environment is affected if running NetWare 6.5 with OES2 Linux in an NDS tree, the ApacheAdmin console is enabled, and Support Pack 8 or later is NOT installed.

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 6.5
Interim mitigation

Apply NetWare 6.5 Support Pack 8 or later, which enforces authentication on the ApacheAdmin console. If immediate patching is not feasible, restrict network access to the console port via firewall rules or disable the ApacheAdmin interface entirely.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

NetWare 6.5 Support Pack 8

  1. Verify the current NetWare 6.5 Support Pack level by checking the system documentation or running the appropriate version check command
  2. Download NetWare 6.5 Support Pack 8 from the official Novell/NetIQ download portal
  3. Apply Support Pack 8 following Novell's standard installation procedure for NetWare patches
  4. After installation, verify that the ApacheAdmin console now requires authentication
  5. If the OES2 Linux server is still in the NDS tree, confirm that password protection is now enforced for the ApacheAdmin console
Caveat Support Pack updates may require system downtime and should be tested in a non-production environment first; ensure backup of current configuration before applying

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

Fix this in Netware Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,380
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,808.

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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-2008-5696 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