Directory Ldap ApiApplication · Apache
CVE-2015-3250
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 · uneditedApache Directory LDAP API before 1.0.0-M31 allows attackers to conduct timing attacks via unspecified vectors.
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 confidenceThe Apache Directory LDAP API before version 1.0.0-M31 contains a timing attack vulnerability in its authentication handling. Attackers can exploit measurable timing differences in the LDAP API's processing to potentially infer sensitive authentication information such as valid usernames or password characteristics, enabling further unauthorized access.
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
Directory Ldap ApiApplication
<= 1.0.0CVSS 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
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/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 Apache Directory LDAP API usageSearch your application codebase, build files (pom.xml, build.gradle), and deployed libraries for 'apache-directory-ldap-api' or 'apache-ds' components. Also scan JAR files in your lib or WEB-INF/lib directories for classes from the org.apache.directory package.Affected if Apache Directory LDAP API is present in your environment
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Determine the installed versionLocate the version information from the JAR manifest (MANIFEST.MF), the dependency declaration in your build file, or the filename if the version is embedded (e.g., apacheds-core-1.0.0.jar).Affected if The version cannot be determined or is below 1.0.0-M31
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Compare against affected version rangeCheck if the identified version falls within '<= 1.0.0'. Versions 1.0.0-M31 and later are not affected. If your version is 1.0.0 (without M31 suffix) or any earlier version (e.g., 0.9.x, 0.8.x), it is within the affected range.Affected if The installed version is 1.0.0 or any earlier release (1.0.0, 0.x.x, etc.)
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Verify authentication is processed by this libraryReview your application code and configuration to confirm that user authentication or credential validation flows pass through the Apache Directory LDAP API. If LDAP authentication is handled by a different library (e.g., Spring Security LDAP, UnboundID), this specific vulnerability does not apply.Affected if Your application performs LDAP authentication using the Apache Directory LDAP API library
You are affected if your environment uses Apache Directory LDAP API version 1.0.0 or earlier for handling LDAP authentication operations.
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 Apache Directory LDAP API to version 1.0.0-M31 or later, which implements constant-time comparison operations to mitigate timing side-channel leaks in authentication workflows.
Fix this in Directory Ldap Api
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,096.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2015-3250 — 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-2015-3250 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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