Skip to content
Noroxi
CVE-2023-34966· NVD / CVE Program· CNA redhat

Samba: infinite loop in mdssvc rpc service for spotlight

An infinite loop vulnerability was found in Samba's mdssvc RPC service for Spotlight. When parsing Spotlight mdssvc RPC packets sent by the client, the core unmarshalling function sl_unpack_loop() did not validate a field in the network packet that contains the count of elements in an array-like structure. By passing 0 as the count value, the attacked function will run in an endless loop consuming 100% CPU. This flaw allows an attacker to issue a malformed RPC request, triggering an infinite loop, resulting in a denial of service condition.

HighCVSS 7.5 · v3.1—No exploit Fix available
Published
Jul 20, 2023
Updated
Jun 17, 2026
EPSS
62.4% · 99th percentile
Follow this CVE

Sign in to follow · You’ll be notified if a followed record enters KEV, gets an exploit or is updated.

Report tools

JSON

Action score

49

Plan

Add it to your regular patch cycle.

CVSS
30 / 40 · 7.5 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
19 / 30 · 62.4%

CNA vs NVD score

NVD
7.5
CNA · redhat
7.5
agree

The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.

Affected systems

VendorProduct
sambasamba
fedoraprojectfedora
redhatenterprise linux
debiandebian linux

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

  • debian debian linux11.0
  • debian debian linux12.0
  • fedoraproject fedora37
  • fedoraproject fedora38
  • redhat enterprise linux8.0
  • redhat enterprise linux9.0
  • samba sambabefore 4.16.11
  • samba samba4.18.0 and later · before 4.18.5
  • samba samba4.17.0 and later · before 4.17.10

Versions reported by the vendor

Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (redhat). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.

  • Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6

    • all versionsunknown
    • all versionsunknown
  • Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7

    • all versionsunknown
  • Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8

    • 0:4.18.6-1.el8 and laternot affected · rpm
    • 0:4.18.6-1.el8 and laternot affected · rpm
  • Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.6 Extended Update Support

    • 0:4.15.5-15.el8_6 and laternot affected · rpm
  • Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.8 Extended Update Support

    • 0:4.17.5-5.el8_8 and laternot affected · rpm
  • Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9

    • 0:4.18.6-100.el9 and laternot affected · rpm
    • 0:4.18.6-100.el9 and laternot affected · rpm
  • Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.2 Extended Update Support

    • 0:4.17.5-105.el9_2 and laternot affected · rpm
  • Red Hat Red Hat Storage 3

    • all versionsunknown
  • Red Hat Red Hat Virtualization 4 for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8

    • 0:4.15.5-15.el8_6 and laternot affected · rpm

Package-level exposure

OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
AlmaLinux:8ctdbbefore 4.18.6-1.el84.18.6-1.el8
AlmaLinux:8libnetapibefore 4.18.6-1.el84.18.6-1.el8
AlmaLinux:8libnetapi-develbefore 4.18.6-1.el84.18.6-1.el8
AlmaLinux:8libsmbclientbefore 4.18.6-1.el84.18.6-1.el8
AlmaLinux:8libsmbclient-develbefore 4.18.6-1.el84.18.6-1.el8
AlmaLinux:8libwbclientbefore 4.18.6-1.el84.18.6-1.el8
AlmaLinux:8libwbclient-develbefore 4.18.6-1.el84.18.6-1.el8
AlmaLinux:8python3-sambabefore 4.18.6-1.el84.18.6-1.el8
AlmaLinux:8python3-samba-dcbefore 4.18.6-1.el84.18.6-1.el8
AlmaLinux:8python3-samba-develbefore 4.18.6-1.el84.18.6-1.el8
AlmaLinux:8python3-samba-testbefore 4.18.6-1.el84.18.6-1.el8
AlmaLinux:8sambabefore 4.18.6-1.el84.18.6-1.el8
AlmaLinux:8samba-clientbefore 4.18.6-1.el84.18.6-1.el8
AlmaLinux:8samba-client-libsbefore 4.18.6-1.el84.18.6-1.el8
AlmaLinux:8samba-commonbefore 4.18.6-1.el84.18.6-1.el8
AlmaLinux:8samba-common-libsbefore 4.18.6-1.el84.18.6-1.el8
AlmaLinux:8samba-common-toolsbefore 4.18.6-1.el84.18.6-1.el8
AlmaLinux:8samba-dc-libsbefore 4.18.6-1.el84.18.6-1.el8
AlmaLinux:8samba-dcerpcbefore 4.18.6-1.el84.18.6-1.el8
AlmaLinux:8samba-develbefore 4.18.6-1.el84.18.6-1.el8
AlmaLinux:8samba-krb5-printingbefore 4.18.6-1.el84.18.6-1.el8
AlmaLinux:8samba-ldb-ldap-modulesbefore 4.18.6-1.el84.18.6-1.el8
AlmaLinux:8samba-libsbefore 4.18.6-1.el84.18.6-1.el8
AlmaLinux:8samba-pidlbefore 4.18.6-1.el84.18.6-1.el8

+96

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2017-7494Samba since version 3.5.0 and before 4.6.4, 4.5.10 and 4.4.14 is vulnerable to remote code execution vulnerability, allowing a malicious cliKEV
    99Now
  • CVE-2015-0240The Netlogon server implementation in smbd in Samba 3.5.x and 3.6.x before 3.6.25, 4.0.x before 4.0.25, 4.1.x before 4.1.17, and 4.2.x befor
    66This week
  • CVE-2003-0085Buffer overflow in the SMB/CIFS packet fragment re-assembly code for SMB daemon (smbd) in Samba before 2.2.8, and Samba-TNG before 0.3.1, al
    66This week
  • CVE-2003-0201Buffer overflow in the call_trans2open function in trans2.c for Samba 2.2.x before 2.2.8a, 2.0.10 and earlier 2.0.x versions, and Samba-TNG
    65This week
  • CVE-2007-2446Multiple heap-based buffer overflows in the NDR parsing in smbd in Samba 3.0.0 through 3.0.25rc3 allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary
    63This week
  • CVE-2012-1182The RPC code generator in Samba 3.x before 3.4.16, 3.5.x before 3.5.14, and 3.6.x before 3.6.4 does not implement validation of an array len
    62This week

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

Product / packageFixed versionSource
AlmaLinux:ctdb4.18.6-100.el9 · AlmaLinux:9Package registry (OSV)
AlmaLinux:libnetapi4.18.6-100.el9 · AlmaLinux:9Package registry (OSV)
AlmaLinux:libnetapi-devel4.18.6-100.el9 · AlmaLinux:9Package registry (OSV)
AlmaLinux:libsmbclient4.18.6-100.el9 · AlmaLinux:9Package registry (OSV)
AlmaLinux:libsmbclient-devel4.18.6-100.el9 · AlmaLinux:9Package registry (OSV)
AlmaLinux:libwbclient4.18.6-100.el9 · AlmaLinux:9Package registry (OSV)
AlmaLinux:libwbclient-devel4.18.6-100.el9 · AlmaLinux:9Package registry (OSV)
AlmaLinux:python3-samba4.18.6-100.el9 · AlmaLinux:9Package registry (OSV)
AlmaLinux:python3-samba-dc4.18.6-100.el9 · AlmaLinux:9Package registry (OSV)
AlmaLinux:python3-samba-devel4.18.6-100.el9 · AlmaLinux:9Package registry (OSV)
AlmaLinux:python3-samba-test4.18.6-100.el9 · AlmaLinux:9Package registry (OSV)
AlmaLinux:samba4.18.6-100.el9 · AlmaLinux:9Package registry (OSV)
Debian:samba2:4.17.10+dfsg-0+deb12u1 · Debian:12Package registry (OSV)
openSUSE:samba4.17.9+git.367.dae41ffdd1f-150500.3.5.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.5Package registry (OSV)
Red Hat:ctdb-debuginfo0:4.18.6-100.el9 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstreamPackage registry (OSV)
Red Hat:libnetapi-debuginfo0:4.18.6-100.el9 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstreamPackage registry (OSV)
Red Hat:libsmbclient-debuginfo0:4.18.6-100.el9 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstreamPackage registry (OSV)
Red Hat:libwbclient-debuginfo0:4.18.6-100.el9 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstreamPackage registry (OSV)
Red Hat:python3-samba-dc-debuginfo0:4.18.6-100.el9 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstreamPackage registry (OSV)
Red Hat:python3-samba-debuginfo0:4.18.6-100.el9 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstreamPackage registry (OSV)
Red Hat:samba-client0:4.18.6-100.el9 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstreamPackage registry (OSV)
Red Hat:samba-client-debuginfo0:4.18.6-100.el9 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstreamPackage registry (OSV)
Red Hat:samba-client-libs-debuginfo0:4.18.6-100.el9 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstreamPackage registry (OSV)
Red Hat:samba-common-libs-debuginfo0:4.18.6-100.el9 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstreamPackage registry (OSV)
Red Hat:samba-common-tools-debuginfo0:4.18.6-100.el9 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstreamPackage registry (OSV)
Red Hat:samba-dc-libs-debuginfo0:4.18.6-100.el9 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstreamPackage registry (OSV)
Rocky Linux:evolution-mapi0:3.28.3-8.el8 · Rocky Linux:8Package registry (OSV)
Rocky Linux:openchange0:2.3-32.el8 · Rocky Linux:8Package registry (OSV)
SUSE:samba4.15.13+git.621.c8ae836ff82-3.85.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise High Availability Extension 12 SP5Package registry (OSV)
SUSE:samba4.17.9+git.367.dae41ffdd1f-150500.3.5.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP5Package 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.

EPSS, last 120 days

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.

No commit or PR link among the references.

Finders, 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

  • Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
  • No account or password is required.
  • No user action is required.
  • No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.

If successful

Confidentiality
none
Integrity
none
Availability
high · the service can be disrupted
Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality impact
None
Integrity impact
None
Availability impact
High

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

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 help

Change log

  1. Fix✗ → ✓

For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →

References

All records