CVE-2011-3176
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 · uneditedStack-based buffer overflow in the Preboot Service in Novell ZENworks Configuration Management (ZCM) 11.1 and 11.1a allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via an opcode 0x4c request.
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 confidenceStack-based buffer overflow in the Preboot Service of Novell ZENworks Configuration Management 11.1/11.1a allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via crafted opcode 0x4c requests. The overflow occurs on the stack, enabling potential complete system compromise.
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= 11.1= 11.1aCVSS 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Confirm ZENworks Configuration Management is installedLocate the ZCM installation and identify the product version. Common methods include checking the 'Add/Remove Programs' list on Windows, querying the package management system on Linux, or reviewing the ZCM documentation for the installed version number.Affected if The installed version is ZCM 11.1 or 11.1a specifically.
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Identify the exact version stringUse the ZCM administrative console, check the installed packages, or query the ZCM version through its native tools to obtain the precise version number (for example, 11.1 or 11.1a).Affected if The version resolves to exactly 11.1 or 11.1a.
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Determine if the Preboot Service is enabledCheck the ZCM configuration or services panel to see whether the Preboot Service component is currently active. This service handles preboot operations and listens on a dedicated port.Affected if The Preboot Service is enabled and running, exposing the vulnerable component to network requests.
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Verify network exposure of the Preboot ServiceCheck if the Preboot Service port (typically port 998/TCP or as configured in your environment) is accessible from the network. Use netstat, firewall rules, or port scanning to confirm external accessibility.Affected if The Preboot Service port is exposed to untrusted network segments, allowing remote attackers to send crafted opcode 0x4c requests.
A system is affected if it runs ZCM version 11.1 or 11.1a with the Preboot Service enabled and exposed to network traffic, enabling remote exploitation via crafted opcode 0x4c requests.
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 dataApply the vendor-supplied patch for ZCM 11.1/11.1a or upgrade to a patched version. If patching is immediately unavailable, consider network segmentation to restrict access to the Preboot Service port.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2011-3176 — 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-2011-3176 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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- 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
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