CVE intelligence and bounded remediation

CVE-2023-4641 — A flaw was found in shadow-utils

Medium CVSS 5.5

A flaw was found in shadow-utils. When asking for a new password, shadow-utils asks the password twice. If the password fails on the second attempt, shadow-utils fails in cleaning the buffer used to store the first entry. This may allow an attacker with enough access to retrieve the password from the memory.

Severity
Medium
CVSS
5.5 (3.1)
Published
2023-12-27
CISA KEV
Not currently listed
Ecosystem
software/application
Weaknesses
CWE-303, CWE-287

Affected products

  • shadow-maint / shadow-utils
  • redhat / codeready_linux_builder / 8.0
  • redhat / codeready_linux_builder / 9.0
  • redhat / codeready_linux_builder_for_arm64 / 8.0_aarch64
  • redhat / codeready_linux_builder_for_arm64 / 9.0_aarch64
  • redhat / codeready_linux_builder_for_ibm_z_systems / 8.0_s390x

Showing 6 representative product identities from 17 source matches. Confirm exact affected versions with the linked vendor and NVD evidence.

Matched remediation archetype

Authentication bypass and missing authentication

This catalog composition supplies bounded fallback guidance. Explicitly reviewed curated workflows load with the complete record below.

Check exposure

  • Map every affected endpoint and protocol path, including alternate ports, legacy routes, recovery flows, service accounts, and machine-to-machine access.
  • Confirm which deployments enable the affected authentication mode and whether the interface is reachable from untrusted networks.
  • Review session, token, credential, and proxy trust configuration without attempting account takeover.

Remediate safely

  • Apply the supported fix and centralize fail-closed authentication before protected request handling.
  • Remove default or embedded credentials, rotate affected secrets and sessions, and bind authentication decisions to the intended audience and channel.
  • Add negative tests for alternate routes, malformed or absent credentials, recovery flows, and proxy-derived identity.

Authoritative sources

Complete CVE record and remediation plan

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