# CVE-2011-4338: Auth bypass in shaman

> Users can gain root privileges by modifying the configuration file to skip password verification, bypassing authentication controls.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **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:** No
- **Published:** 12 Feb 2020
- **Updated:** 7 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-gx3r-q563-w43q

## What is CVE-2011-4338?

CVE-2011-4338 is a high-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in shaman, published on 12 Feb 2020. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Shaman 1.0.9: Users can add the line askforpwd=false to his shaman.conf file, without entering the root password in shaman. The next time shaman is run, root privileges are granted despite the fact that the user never entered the root password.

Weakness: CWE-287 (Improper Authentication)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2011-4338?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Shaman Project Shaman.

## How do I fix CVE-2011-4338?

No fix has been published for CVE-2011-4338 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2011-4338 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2011-4338 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2011-4338 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2011-4338 is a high-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in shaman, published on 12 Feb 2020. 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-2011-4338 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: shaman. 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-2011-4338/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2011-4338/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2011-4338
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2011-4338
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2011-4338

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2011-4338/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.