CVE-2017-9277
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 LDAP backend in Novell eDirectory before 9.0 SP4 when switched to EBA (Enhanced Background Authentication) kept open connections without EBA.
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 LDAP backend in Novell eDirectory before version 9.0 SP4, when configured to use Enhanced Background Authentication (EBA), maintained open connections that were not actually protected by EBA. This creates an authentication bypass where connections can remain accessible without proper EBA credentials.
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<= 9.0= 9.0CVSS 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
- None
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/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 installed eDirectory versionCheck the eDirectory version through the iMonitor interface (typically at https://server:8088/nds) or by running 'ndsstat' or 'ndsversion' commands on the server. Look for the exact version number and service pack level.Affected if The version is 9.0 or any version below 9.0, or if it is 9.0 without Service Pack 4 applied.
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Verify LDAP service is enabledConfirm that the LDAP server is running and accessible. Check via iMonitor under LDAP configuration, or use an LDAP browser/tool to attempt a connection to ports 389 (LDAP) or 636 (LDAPS).Affected if LDAP service is running and accepting connections.
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Confirm Enhanced Background Authentication is configuredCheck eDirectory LDAP configuration for EBA settings. In iMonitor, navigate to LDAP Server > Server Parameters > Enhanced Background Authentication, or review the LDAP server configuration in ConsoleOne. Look for whether EBA is explicitly enabled.Affected if EBA is enabled or configured for the LDAP backend - this is the prerequisite condition for the vulnerability to apply.
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Test for unprotected LDAP bind persistenceIf EBA is configured, establish an LDAP connection and perform a simple bind with valid credentials. Then disconnect without explicitly unbinding, wait, and attempt to reconnect using the same connection handle or a new connection without re-authenticating to see if the session remains active.Affected if The connection persists without requiring fresh EBA credentials after the initial authentication session.
A user is affected if they are running eDirectory version 9.0 or earlier, have LDAP enabled, and have EBA configured, as the LDAP backend may maintain connections that bypass EBA protection.
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 to eDirectory 9.0 SP4 or later to obtain the patched LDAP backend that properly enforces EBA on all connections.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,984.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2017-9277 — 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-2017-9277 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
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