CVE-2015-4145
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 · uneditedThe EAP-pwd server and peer implementation in hostapd and wpa_supplicant 1.0 through 2.4 does not validate a fragment is already being processed, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory leak) via a crafted message.
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 EAP-pwd implementation in hostapd and wpa_supplicant versions 1.0-2.4 lacks validation to check if a message fragment is already being processed. A remote attacker can send crafted fragmented EAP-pwd messages that cause memory to be allocated without proper tracking, resulting in a memory leak and eventual denial of service.
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= 1.0= 1.1= 2.0= 2.1= 2.2= 2.3= 2.4= 13.1= 13.2= 1.0= 1.1= 2.0= 2.1= 2.2= 2.3= 2.4CVSS 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
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- Partial
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P
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 installed hostapd versionRun 'hostapd -v' or 'hostapd --version' to obtain the version number. Check if the version matches 1.0, 1.1, 2.0, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, or 2.4.Affected if The version is one of the listed affected versions (1.0-2.4).
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Identify installed wpa_supplicant versionRun 'wpa_supplicant -v' or 'wpa_supplicant --version' to obtain the version number. Check if the version matches 1.0, 1.1, 2.0, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, or 2.4.Affected if The version is one of the listed affected versions (1.0-2.4).
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Check if hostapd uses EAP-pwdExamine the hostapd configuration file (commonly /etc/hostapd.conf or similar) for lines containing 'eap_method' or 'wpa' configuration. Look specifically for references to 'pwd' or 'EAP-PWD' in the authentication configuration.Affected if EAP-pwd is explicitly configured or enabled in the hostapd configuration file.
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Check if wpa_supplicant uses EAP-pwdExamine the wpa_supplicant configuration file (commonly /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf) for network blocks. Look for 'eap' field set to 'PWD' or 'eap_method' configured with 'pwd'. Also check running processes for wpa_supplicant with EAP-pwd enabled.Affected if EAP-pwd is explicitly configured as the EAP method in the wpa_supplicant configuration or is actively being used.
The environment is affected if hostapd or wpa_supplicant version 1.0-2.4 is installed AND EAP-pwd authentication method is enabled or in use.
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 hostapd and wpa_supplicant to versions that contain the fix for CVE-2015-4145 (version 2.5 or later). If immediate patching is not possible, consider disabling EAP-pwd authentication method if not required.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing12.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2015-4145 — 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-2015-4145 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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