CVE-2022-0860

Improper Authorization in cobbler

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

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.

The application does not correctly enforce access controls, allowing a principal to access resources or operations beyond their granted permissions. Typical impact: unauthorized data access or execution of privileged operations.

CVE-2022-0860 has a CVSS score of 8.2 (Medium). The vector is network-reachable, no privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (3.3.2); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

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

1. What is CVE-2022-0860? CVE-2022-0860 is a medium-severity incorrect authorization vulnerability in cobbler (pip), affecting versions < 3.3.2. It is fixed in 3.3.2. The application does not correctly enforce access controls, allowing a principal to access resources or operations beyond their granted permissions.
2. How severe is CVE-2022-0860? CVE-2022-0860 has a CVSS score of 8.2 (Medium). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
3. Which versions of cobbler are affected by CVE-2022-0860? cobbler (pip) versions < 3.3.2 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2022-0860? Yes. CVE-2022-0860 is fixed in 3.3.2. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2022-0860 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2022-0860 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
6. What actually determines whether CVE-2022-0860 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
7. How do I fix CVE-2022-0860? Upgrade cobbler to 3.3.2 or later.

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