# CVE-2008-0062: Null dereference in n/a

> Remote attackers can crash the Kerberos KDC or potentially execute code via crafted messages triggering a null pointer dereference.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 19 Mar 2008
- **Updated:** 7 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2008-0062, GHSA-f6c2-j3p8-vxvv

## What is CVE-2008-0062?

CVE-2008-0062 is a critical vulnerability in Canonical Ubuntu Linux, published on 19 Mar 2008. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

KDC in MIT Kerberos 5 (krb5kdc) does not set a global variable for some krb4 message types, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) and possibly execute arbitrary code via crafted messages that trigger a NULL pointer dereference or double-free.

Weakness: CWE-665 (Improper Initialization)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2008-0062?

It affects 4 products.


Products: Canonical Ubuntu Linux, Debian Debian Linux, Fedoraproject Fedora, Mit Kerberos 5.

## How do I fix CVE-2008-0062?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2008-0062 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2008-0062 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Canonical Ubuntu Linux

- [CVE-2020-11651](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-11651/): SaltStack Salt Authentication Bypass (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2020-7247](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-7247/): OpenSMTPD Remote Code Execution (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2019-16928](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-16928/): Exim Out-of-bounds Write (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2018-6789](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-6789/): Exim Buffer Overflow (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2015-2590](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-2590/): Oracle Java SE and Java SE Embedded Remote Code Execution (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2008-0062 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2008-0062 is a critical vulnerability in Canonical Ubuntu Linux, published on 19 Mar 2008. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2008-0062 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Canonical Ubuntu Linux. 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-2008-0062/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-0062/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2008-0062
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2008-0062
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2008-0062

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-0062/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.