Skip to main content

Boteraser | Website and Server Security Solutions

🛡️ CVE-2022-0860 — cobbler

🔴 CVSS 9.1 — Critical ⚠️ Exploit Public CWE-285 NVD
9.1
CVSS Score
0 Low4 Medium7 High9 Critical10

Description

Improper Authorization in cobbler

Impact

If PAM is correctly configured and a user account is set to expired, the expired user-account is still able to successfully log into Cobbler in all places (Web UI, CLI & XMLRPC-API).

The same applies to user accounts with passwords set to be expired.

Patches

There is a patch for the latest Cobbler 3.3.2 available, however a backport will be done for 3.2.x.

Workarounds

  • Delete expired accounts which are able to access Cobbler via PAM.
  • Use chage -l <username> to lock the account. If the account has SSH-Keys attached then remove them completely.

References

  • Originally discovered by @ysf at https://www.huntr.dev/bounties/c458b868-63df-414e-af10-47e3745caa1d/

How to test if my Cobbler instance is affected?

The following pytest test assumes that your PAM setup is correct. In case the added user is not able to login, this test does not make sense to be executed.

```python

def test_pam_login_with_expired_user():

# Arrange

# create pam testuser

test_username = "expired_user"

test_password = "password"

test_api = CobblerAPI()

subprocess_1 = subprocess.run(

["perl", "-e", "'print crypt(\"%s\", \"%s\")'" % (test_username, test_password)],

stdout=subprocess.PIPE

)

subprocess.run(["useradd", "-p", subprocess_1.stdout, test_username])

# change user to be expired

subprocess.run(["chage", "-E0", test_username])

# Act

result = pam.authenticate(test_api, test_username, test_password)

# Assert - login should fail

assert not result

```

For more information

If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:

  • Open an issue in [the Cobbler repository](https://github.com/cobbler/cobbler/issues/new/choose)
  • Ask in the [Gitter/Matrix Chat](https://gitter.im/cobbler/community)
  • Email us at [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])

How this vulnerability can be exploited

This issue can be reached over the network, attack complexity is low, an attacker needs no privileges on the target. No user interaction is required. The scope is unchanged, so the impact stays within the vulnerable component. Rated impact: confidentiality high, integrity high, availability none.

CVSS metrics in full

The score comes from this vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N

  • Attack vector: Network — reachable from anywhere that can route to the service.
  • Attack complexity: Low — the attack works reliably, with no preparation.
  • Privileges required: None — an unauthenticated stranger can try it.
  • User interaction: None — nobody has to be tricked into anything.
  • Scope: Unchanged — the damage stays inside the vulnerable component.
  • Confidentiality impact: High — total loss, or loss the attacker controls.
  • Integrity impact: High — total loss, or loss the attacker controls.
  • Availability impact: None.

Weakness class

CVE-2022-0860 is classified as CWE-285: Improper Authorization. A request is carried out without confirming that the caller is permitted to perform it on that specific resource.

Affected software

CVE-2022-0860 is recorded against 2 packages.

  • cobbler (fixed in 3.3.2)
  • fedora

Timeline and source

Published on 11 March 2022 and last revised on 17 June 2026. A public exploit is known to exist, which raises the urgency of patching considerably. A vendor advisory or fix has been published. Record sourced from NVD.

References

huntr.dev (Web)
github.com (Fix)
lists.fedoraproject.org (Web)
lists.fedoraproject.org (Web)
lists.fedoraproject.org (Web)
github.com (Advisory)

Other advisories for this package

cobbler has other advisories on record. If you are patching this one, these are worth checking on the same host:

Same weakness in other software

These advisories are the same class of weakness (CWE-285: Improper Authorization) in other software:

CVE-2022-0860 on other distributions

Each distribution ships its own build and its own fixed version. Pick the one you run:

Details

Severity CRITICAL
CVSS Score 9.1
CVSS Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
CWE CWE-285
Public Exploit ⚠️ Yes
Source NVD
Published 2022-03-11
Updated 2026-08-20
Modified 2026-06-17

Affected Packages

Software From version Fixed in
cobbler — 3.3.2
fedora — —

Similar Threats

Exploit Protection

Are you running cobbler?

CVE-2022-0860 carries CVSS 9.1 Critical rating and a public exploit already exists. BotEraser checks your installation against this and other known CVE records, and blocks IPs associated with exploit activity.

Check My Site For CVE-2022-0860 →

No credit card required  ·  Results in minutes

ⓘ Data Notice: The information presented above has been compiled from publicly available internet sources. Boteraser aggregates this data solely for informational purposes and does not independently classify, evaluate, or endorse any findings about the vulnerabilities listed. The accuracy and completeness of this information is the sole responsibility of the original publishers. Boteraser and its operators accept no liability for any decisions made based on this data.

Browse related advisories

All advisoriesCVECVE 2022
✓