CVE-2015-3206: Kerberos Python-kerberos Vulnerable To KDC Spoofing Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-mffc-9gx5-99g3
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CVSS 8.1
CWE-287
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2015-3206 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 8.1) python-kerberos vulnerable to kdc spoofing vulnerability (CWE-287: Improper Authentication) affecting Kerberos libraries in the PyPI ecosystem. The issue involves python-kerberos vulnerable to kdc spoofing attacks. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.1.6.

CVE-2015-3206 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2015-3206
GHSA Identifier GHSA-mffc-9gx5-99g3
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 8.1
CWE Classification CWE-287: Improper Authentication
Affected Product Kerberos
Package Ecosystem PyPI
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 8.1

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity High (AC:H)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality High (C:H)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2015-3206

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Kerberos dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

kerberos fixed: Latest secure release 
pip install kerberos>=Latest secure release
pykerberos fixed: 1.1.6 
pip install pykerberos>=1.1.6
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

pip show kerberos

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Python environment is affected by CVE-2015-3206, inspect your installed packages using pip:

pip show kerberos

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Kerberos in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 1.1.6), your application is affected.

Note: The pip show kerberos command checks currently installed packages in your active Python environment.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-287: Improper Authentication, where when an actor claims to have a given identity, the product does not prove or insufficiently proves that the claim is correct. In Kerberos, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

The `checkPassword` function in python-kerberos does not authenticate the KDC it attempts to communicate with, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (bad response), or have other unspecified impact by performing a man-in-the-middle attack.

CVE-2015-3206 Affected Kerberos Versions

2 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
1.1.6
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
kerberos
pypi/kerberos
PyPI
≤ 1.2.5
pykerberos
pypi/pykerberos
PyPI
< 1.1.6
1.1.6

References

NVD — CVE-2015-3206 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2015-3206
Kerberos Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/apple/ccs-pykerberos/issues/31
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/apple/ccs-pykerberos/commit/9cb61c93f9b24dd18a0a315f3df5445529c5c333
bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi WEB
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1223802
Kerberos Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/apple/ccs-pykerberos
Kerberos Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/kerberos/PYSEC-2017-49.yaml
Kerberos Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/pykerberos/PYSEC-2017-66.yaml
pypi.python.org/pypi/kerberos WEB
https://pypi.python.org/pypi/kerberos
web.archive.org/web/20150910143429/... WEB
https://web.archive.org/web/20150910143429/https://trac.calendarserver.org/ticket/833
Kerberos Security Information SECURITY
https://web.archive.org/web/20200228090829/http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/74760
Kerberos Security Information SECURITY
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2015/05/21/3

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2015-3206?
CVE-2015-3206 is a security vulnerability in Kerberos involving python-kerberos vulnerable to KDC spoofing attacks under CWE-287: Improper Authentication.
Which Kerberos versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 1.1.6 across affected packages: kerberos, pykerberos.
What version fixes CVE-2015-3206?
Upgrading to 1.1.6 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is kerberos affected?
Yes, kerberos is affected in releases prior to Latest secure release. Upgrade your dependency to Latest secure release or later.
Is pykerberos affected?
Yes, pykerberos is affected in releases prior to 1.1.6. Upgrade your dependency to 1.1.6 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2015-3206?
CVE-2015-3206 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.1 (CRITICAL) with vector string CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2015-3206?
CVE-2015-3206 is classified under CWE-287: Improper Authentication (When an actor claims to have a given identity, the product does not prove or insufficiently proves that the claim is correct.).
How can I check PyPI dependencies for CVE-2015-3206?
Run the dependency tree command: 'pip show kerberos'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-mffc-9gx5-99g3",
  "modified" : "2024-09-27T15:49:07Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-14T01:46:42Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2015-3206" ],
  "summary" : "python-kerberos vulnerable to KDC spoofing attacks",
  "details" : "The `checkPassword` function in python-kerberos does not authenticate the KDC it attempts to communicate with, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (bad response), or have other unspecified impact by performing a man-in-the-middle attack.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  }, {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "PyPI",
      "name" : "kerberos"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "last_affected" : "1.2.5"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "PyPI",
      "name" : "pykerberos"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.1.6"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2015-3206"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/apple/ccs-pykerberos/issues/31"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/apple/ccs-pykerberos/commit/9cb61c93f9b24dd18a0a315f3df5445529c5c333"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1223802"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/apple/ccs-pykerberos"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/kerberos/PYSEC-2017-49.yaml"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/pykerberos/PYSEC-2017-66.yaml"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://pypi.python.org/pypi/kerberos"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://web.archive.org/web/20150910143429/https://trac.calendarserver.org/ticket/833"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://web.archive.org/web/20200228090829/http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/74760"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2015/05/21/3"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-287" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2024-02-23T20:53:08Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2017-08-25T18:29:00Z"
  }
}