CVE-2003-0138: Version 4 of the Kerberos protocol (krb4), as used in Heimdal and other packages, allows an attacker to impersonate any principal in a realm…
Noroxi assessment
Priority: Monitor (action score 31/100)
- The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
- Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 4.2% (FIRST EPSS); higher than 91.2% of all records.
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
- Fixed version: heimdal (Debian:12) 0.5.2-1; krb5 (Debian:12) 1.2.7-3; heimdal (Debian:3.0) 0.4e-7.woody.8.
Low priority for now. Upgrade to heimdal (Debian:12) 0.5.2-1; krb5 (Debian:12) 1.2.7-3; heimdal (Debian:3.0) 0.4e-7.woody.8 or later.
Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it
Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS
Version 4 of the Kerberos protocol (krb4), as used in Heimdal and other packages, allows an attacker to impersonate any principal in a realm via a chosen-plaintext attack.
- Published
- Mar 24, 2003
- Updated
- Jun 16, 2026
- EPSS
- 4.2% · 91th percentile
- CWE
- —
Report tools
Action score
31
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 30 / 40 · 7.5 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 1 / 30 · 4.2%
Get told when this record changes
- Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
- No public exploit code on record
- A fix has been released
If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.
Is your version affected? Check itNoroxi analysis
What does it mean in your environment?
The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.
We use this product, ask for helpAffected systems
Is your version affected?
Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| mit | kerberos | cpe:2.3:a:mit:kerberos |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- mit kerberos4
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian:12 | heimdal | before 0.5.2-1 | 0.5.2-1 |
| Debian:12 | krb5 | before 1.2.7-3 | 1.2.7-3 |
| Debian:3.0 | heimdal | before 0.4e-7.woody.8 | 0.4e-7.woody.8 |
| Debian:3.0 | krb4 | before 1.1-8-2.3 | 1.1-8-2.3 |
| Debian:3.0 | krb5 | before 1.2.4-5woody4 | 1.2.4-5woody4 |
Same product
mit: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2001-0554Buffer overflow in BSD-based telnetd telnet daemon on various operating systems allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands via a…52Plan
- CVE-2004-0523Multiple buffer overflows in krb5_aname_to_localname for MIT Kerberos 5 (krb5) 1.3.3 and earlier allow remote attackers to execute…43Plan
- CVE-2009-4212Multiple integer underflows in the (1) AES and (2) RC4 decryption functionality in the crypto library in MIT Kerberos 5 (aka krb5) 1.3…42Plan
Published before and after this one in the same product
- ← EarlierCVE-1999-1321Nov 5, 1998 · Buffer overflow in ssh 1.2.26 client with Kerberos V enabled could allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service or execute arbitrary…31Monitor
- ← EarlierCVE-2001-0417Jun 27, 2001 · Kerberos 4 (aka krb4) allows local users to overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on new ticket files.8Monitor
- Later →CVE-2003-0139Mar 24, 2003 · Certain weaknesses in the implementation of version 4 of the Kerberos protocol (krb4) in the krb5 distribution, when triple-DES keys are…31Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| debian:heimdal | 0.5.2-1 · Debian:12 | Package registry (OSV) |
| debian:krb4 | 1.1-8-2.3 · Debian:3.0 | Package registry (OSV) |
| debian:krb5 | 1.2.7-3 · Debian:12 | Package registry (OSV) |
Exploit status
No known public exploit
No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
No dated events beyond publication.
Not on record for this CVE: EPSS history · patch commit or PR link · researcher credit · variant or chain candidate · public bounty program.
Technical details
Attack conditions
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- P · data can be read
- Integrity
- P · data or configuration can be modified
- Availability
- P · the service can be disrupted
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Confidentiality impact
- P
- Integrity impact
- P
- Availability impact
- P
Weakness class (CWE)
—
CVSS vector
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
nvd-primary
Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
MITRE has no CAPEC/ATT&CK mapping for this CWE.
Change log (1)
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
Show all references (11 more)Show less
- web.mit.edu/kerberos/www/advisories/MITKRB5-SA-2003-004-krb4.txt
- www.debian.org/security/2003/dsa-266
- www.debian.org/security/2003/dsa-269
- www.debian.org/security/2003/dsa-273
- www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/623217
- www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHSA-2003-051.html
- www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHSA-2003-052.html
- www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHSA-2003-091.html
- www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/316960/30/25250/threaded
- www.securityfocus.com/bid/7113
- oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A248
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.