MIT Kerberos 5 (aka krb5) through 1.13.1 incorrectly expects that a krb5_read_message data field is represented as a string ending with a '\
MIT Kerberos 5 (aka krb5) through 1.13.1 incorrectly expects that a krb5_read_message data field is represented as a string ending with a '\0' character, which allows remote attackers to (1) cause a denial of service (NULL pointer dereference) via a zero-byte version string or (2) cause a denial of service (out-of-bounds read) by omitting the '\0' character, related to appl/user_user/server.c and lib/krb5/krb/recvauth.c.
- Published
- Feb 20, 2015
- Updated
- Jun 16, 2026
- EPSS
- 4.6% · 91th percentile
- CWE
- —
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Report tools
Action score
21
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 20 / 40 · 5.0 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 1 / 30 · 4.6%
Affected systems
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| mit | kerberos 5 | cpe:2.3:a:mit:kerberos_5 |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- mit kerberos 51.1
- mit kerberos 51.10
- mit kerberos 51.10.1
- mit kerberos 51.10.2
- mit kerberos 51.10.3
- mit kerberos 51.10.4
- mit kerberos 51.11
- mit kerberos 51.11.1
- mit kerberos 51.11.2
- mit kerberos 51.11.3
- mit kerberos 51.11.4
- mit kerberos 51.11.5
- mit kerberos 51.12
- mit kerberos 51.12.1
- mit kerberos 51.12.2
- mit kerberos 51.13
- mit kerberos 51.13.1
- mit kerberos 51.2
- mit kerberos 51.2.1
- mit kerberos 51.2.2
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian:12 | krb5 | before 1.12.1+dfsg-18 | 1.12.1+dfsg-18 |
| Debian:7 | krb5 | before 1.10.1+dfsg-5+deb7u9 | 1.10.1+dfsg-5+deb7u9 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | krb5 | before 0:1.10.3-37.el6_6 | 0:1.10.3-37.el6_6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | krb5-debuginfo | before 0:1.10.3-37.el6_6 | 0:1.10.3-37.el6_6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | krb5-devel | before 0:1.10.3-37.el6_6 | 0:1.10.3-37.el6_6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | krb5-libs | before 0:1.10.3-37.el6_6 | 0:1.10.3-37.el6_6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | krb5-pkinit-openssl | before 0:1.10.3-37.el6_6 | 0:1.10.3-37.el6_6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | krb5-server | before 0:1.10.3-37.el6_6 | 0:1.10.3-37.el6_6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | krb5-server-ldap | before 0:1.10.3-37.el6_6 | 0:1.10.3-37.el6_6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | krb5-workstation | before 0:1.10.3-37.el6_6 | 0:1.10.3-37.el6_6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | krb5 | before 0:1.13.2-10.el7 | 0:1.13.2-10.el7 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | krb5-debuginfo | before 0:1.13.2-10.el7 | 0:1.13.2-10.el7 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | krb5-devel | before 0:1.13.2-10.el7 | 0:1.13.2-10.el7 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | krb5-libs | before 0:1.13.2-10.el7 | 0:1.13.2-10.el7 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | krb5-pkinit | before 0:1.13.2-10.el7 | 0:1.13.2-10.el7 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | krb5-server | before 0:1.13.2-10.el7 | 0:1.13.2-10.el7 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | krb5-server-ldap | before 0:1.13.2-10.el7 | 0:1.13.2-10.el7 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | krb5-workstation | before 0:1.13.2-10.el7 | 0:1.13.2-10.el7 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 11 SP3 | krb5-doc | before 1.6.3-133.49.68.2 | 1.6.3-133.49.68.2 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 11 SP3 | krb5-plugins | before 1.6.3-133.49.68.1 | 1.6.3-133.49.68.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 11 SP3 | krb5 | before 1.6.3-133.49.68.1 | 1.6.3-133.49.68.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 12 | krb5 | before 1.12.1-16.1 | 1.12.1-16.1 |
Same product
mit: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2007-0956The telnet daemon (telnetd) in MIT krb5 before 1.6.1 allows remote attackers to bypass authentication and gain system access via a username 49Plan
- CVE-2011-0285The process_chpw_request function in schpw.c in the password-changing functionality in kadmind in MIT Kerberos 5 (aka krb5) 1.7 through 1.9 46Plan
- CVE-2001-0247Buffer overflows in BSD-based FTP servers allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands via a long pattern string containing a {} se46Plan
- CVE-2002-1235The kadm_ser_in function in (1) the Kerberos v4compatibility administration daemon (kadmind4) in the MIT Kerberos 5 (krb5) krb5-1.2.6 and ea45Plan
- CVE-2009-0846The asn1_decode_generaltime function in lib/krb5/asn.1/asn1_decode.c in the ASN.1 GeneralizedTime decoder in MIT Kerberos 5 (aka krb5) befor43Plan
- CVE-2008-0947Buffer overflow in the RPC library used by libgssrpc and kadmind in MIT Kerberos 5 (krb5) 1.4 through 1.6.3 allows remote attackers to execu43Plan
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:krb5 | 1.12.1+dfsg-18 · Debian:12 | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:krb5 | 0:1.10.3-37.el6_6 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:krb5-debuginfo | 0:1.10.3-37.el6_6 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:krb5-devel | 0:1.10.3-37.el6_6 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:krb5-libs | 0:1.10.3-37.el6_6 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:krb5-pkinit | 0:1.13.2-10.el7 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:krb5-pkinit-openssl | 0:1.10.3-37.el6_6 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:krb5-server | 0:1.10.3-37.el6_6 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:krb5-server-ldap | 0:1.10.3-37.el6_6 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:krb5-workstation | 0:1.10.3-37.el6_6 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:krb5 | 1.12.1-16.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 12 | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:krb5-doc | 1.6.3-133.49.68.2 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 11 SP3 | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:krb5-plugins | 1.6.3-133.49.68.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 11 SP3 | 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.
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
No credits in the CNA record.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
No nightly-computed relations.
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
No known public program.
Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).
Technical details
Attack conditions
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- none
- Integrity
- none
- Availability
- P · the service can be disrupted
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Confidentiality impact
- None
- Integrity impact
- None
- Availability impact
- P
Weakness class (CWE)
—
CVSS vector
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/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.
Noroxi analysis
No Noroxi analysis for this record yet
We don't hand-write analysis for all 385,000+ vulnerabilities; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.
We use this product, ask for helpChange log
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
- krbdev.mit.edu/rt/Ticket/Display.html?id=8050
- lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-updates/2015-03/msg00061.html
- rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2015-0794.html
- www.mandriva.com/security/advisories?name=MDVSA-2015:069
- www.oracle.com/technetwork/topics/security/bulletinjan2015-2370101.html
- www.oracle.com/technetwork/topics/security/linuxbulletinoct2015-2719645.html
- www.securityfocus.com/bid/74042
- www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-2810-1
- github.com/krb5/krb5/commit/102bb6ebf20f9174130c85c3b052ae104e5073ec
- lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2018/01/msg00040.html
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.