Nss Pam LdapdApplication · Arthurdejong

CVE-2013-0288

MEDIUM · 6.8 CVSS v2.0 Published 2013-03-05

Fix available

A fix is available. Upgrade to after 0.7.17 or later.

See remediation →

77/100

Remediation priority · High

Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description

NVD · unedited

nss-pam-ldapd before 0.7.18 and 0.8.x before 0.8.11 allows context-dependent attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) and possibly execute arbitrary code by performing a name lookup on an application with a large number of open file descriptors, which triggers a stack-based buffer overflow related to incorrect use of the FD_SET macro.

Technical summary

dbcve analysis · high confidence

nss-pam-ldapd before 0.7.18 and 0.8.x before 0.8.11 contains a stack-based buffer overflow due to incorrect use of the FD_SET macro when performing name lookups on applications with a large number of open file descriptors. This can cause denial of service via application crash and potentially allow arbitrary code execution.

MitigationUpgrade nss-pam-ldapd to version 0.7.18, 0.8.11, or later. As a workaround, limit the number of open file descriptors for affected applications until patching can be completed.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions

NVD · CPE data

Nss Pam LdapdApplication

Affected:= 0.8.0= 0.8.1= 0.8.2= 0.8.3= 0.8.4= 0.8.5= 0.8.6= 0.8.7= 0.8.8= 0.8.9= 0.8.10<= 0.7.17

CVSS breakdown

From the vector

Attack vector: Network
Complexity: M
Authentication: None
Confidentiality: Partial
Integrity: Partial
Availability: Partial

AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P

Am I affected?

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

Identify nss-pam-ldapd package version

Run 'dpkg -l nss-pam-ldapd' or 'rpm -q nss-ldapd' or check the library files in /usr/lib/ or /lib/ for libnss_ldap.so or similar files and query their package

Affected if The installed version is 0.7.x and <= 0.7.17, or 0.8.x and <= 0.8.10
Verify nss-ldap module is enabled in nsswitch.conf

Inspect /etc/nsswitch.conf and look for 'ldap' in passwd, group, or shadow lines (e.g., 'passwd: files ldap')

Affected if The nsswitch.conf configures any database (passwd, group, shadow, hosts, etc.) to use ldap as a source, enabling name lookups through the vulnerable code path
Confirm LDAP authentication is in use

Check for /etc/pam.d/ configuration files referencing pam_ldap.so and inspect /etc/ldap.conf for valid LDAP server settings

Affected if PAM LDAP or NSS LDAP is actively configured and used for user authentication or name service lookups
Check for processes with high file descriptor counts

Monitor open file descriptors using 'lsof' or check /proc/<pid>/fd/ for processes using the nss-ldap or pam_ldap module, especially during LDAP lookups

Affected if Processes performing LDAP name lookups have a large number of open file descriptors (typically hundreds to thousands), which triggers the FD_SET overflow condition

The system is affected if nss-pam-ldapd version 0.7.x <= 0.7.17 or 0.8.x <= 0.8.10 is installed AND LDAP-based name lookups are enabled in nsswitch.conf AND applications using LDAP lookups have many open file descriptors.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Remediation

From vendor data

Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 0.7.17

Interim mitigation

Upgrade nss-pam-ldapd to version 0.7.18, 0.8.11, or later. As a workaround, limit the number of open file descriptors for affected applications until patching can be completed.

Fix this in Nss Pam Ldapd Scoped from the published advisory

Consultation4.0 h
Implementation3.0 h
Testing5.0 h
Review / QA2.0 h

14.0 hours of engineering $2,450

Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,920.

Scan for this in your stack

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References

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2013-0288 in production — separate from our analysis above.

Notes0 Guidelines

Know something about CVE-2013-0288?

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

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

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

At a glance

A fix existsUpgrade to after 0.7.17 or later

Severity 6.8 Medium

Exploit likelihood EPSS, next 30 days 3.6%

Affects: Nss Pam Ldapd

Remediation

A high-priority fix

Fix this in Nss Pam Ldapd 14 hrs · Moderate

Typical engagement from $2,450

Get a fix See the full breakdown ↓

A high-priority vulnerability. Send your environment and a specialist will scope CVE-2013-0288 and return a fixed quote and timeline.

You’ll deal with our team directly and deploy the reviewed fix to staging first — never straight to production.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Check your environment

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.

Scan for this in your stack

References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Practitioner notes

No notes yet

Official description

Technical summary

Affected products & versions

CVSS breakdown

Am I affected?

Remediation

References