# CVE-2006-3083: Privilege escalation in n/a

> Local attackers can gain privileges by exploiting unchecked setuid return codes in Kerberos applications, affecting system security.

- **Severity:** High 7.2 (`AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 9 Aug 2006
- **Updated:** 7 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2006-3083, GHSA-fxvg-34mm-mrcp, RHSA-2006:0612

## What is CVE-2006-3083?

CVE-2006-3083 is a high-severity vulnerability in Mit Kerberos 5, published on 9 Aug 2006. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The (1) krshd and (2) v4rcp applications in (a) MIT Kerberos 5 (krb5) up to 1.5, and 1.4.x before 1.4.4, when running on Linux and AIX, and (b) Heimdal 0.7.2 and earlier, do not check return codes for setuid calls, which allows local users to gain privileges by causing setuid to fail to drop privileges using attacks such as resource exhaustion.

Weakness: CWE-399

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2006-3083?

It affects 2 products.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `krb5` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | All versions | 0:1.3.4-33 |
| `krb5-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | All versions | 0:1.3.4-33 |
| `krb5-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | All versions | 0:1.3.4-33 |
| `krb5-libs` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | All versions | 0:1.3.4-33 |
| `krb5-server` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | All versions | 0:1.3.4-33 |
| `krb5-workstation` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | All versions | 0:1.3.4-33 |
| `krb5` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::desktop | All versions | 0:1.3.4-33 |
| `krb5-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::desktop | All versions | 0:1.3.4-33 |
| `krb5-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::desktop | All versions | 0:1.3.4-33 |
| `krb5-libs` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::desktop | All versions | 0:1.3.4-33 |
| `krb5-server` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::desktop | All versions | 0:1.3.4-33 |
| `krb5-workstation` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::desktop | All versions | 0:1.3.4-33 |
| `krb5` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::es | All versions | 0:1.3.4-33 |
| `krb5-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::es | All versions | 0:1.3.4-33 |
| `krb5-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::es | All versions | 0:1.3.4-33 |
| `krb5-libs` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::es | All versions | 0:1.3.4-33 |
| `krb5-server` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::es | All versions | 0:1.3.4-33 |
| `krb5-workstation` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::es | All versions | 0:1.3.4-33 |
| `krb5` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::ws | All versions | 0:1.3.4-33 |
| `krb5-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::ws | All versions | 0:1.3.4-33 |
| `krb5-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::ws | All versions | 0:1.3.4-33 |
| `krb5-libs` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::ws | All versions | 0:1.3.4-33 |
| `krb5-server` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::ws | All versions | 0:1.3.4-33 |
| `krb5-workstation` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::ws | All versions | 0:1.3.4-33 |

Products: Heimdal Heimdal, Mit Kerberos 5.

## How do I fix CVE-2006-3083?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2006-3083 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2006-3083 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Mit Kerberos 5

- [CVE-2007-5939](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2007-5939/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2006-3084](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2006-3084/): Privilege escalation in n/a (high 7.2)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2006-3083 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2006-3083 is a high-severity vulnerability in Mit Kerberos 5, published on 9 Aug 2006. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2006-3083 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Mit Kerberos 5. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2006-3083/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2006-3083/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2006-3083
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2006-3083
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2006-3083

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2006-3083/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.