# CVE-2014-5353: Null dereference in n/a

> Authenticated users can crash the Kerberos KDC daemon via a crafted LDAP query when LDAP backend is enabled.

- **Severity:** Low 3.5 (`AV:N/AC:M/Au:S/C:N/I:N/A:P`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 16 Dec 2014
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2014-5353, GHSA-x6p8-9r6f-f728, MGASA-2014-0536, UBUNTU-CVE-2014-5353

## What is CVE-2014-5353?

CVE-2014-5353 is a low-severity vulnerability in Canonical Ubuntu Linux, published on 16 Dec 2014. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The krb5_ldap_get_password_policy_from_dn function in plugins/kdb/ldap/libkdb_ldap/ldap_pwd_policy.c in MIT Kerberos 5 (aka krb5) before 1.13.1, when the KDC uses LDAP, allows remote authenticated users to cause a denial of service (daemon crash) via a successful LDAP query with no results, as demonstrated by using an incorrect object type for a password policy.

Weakness: CWE-476 (NULL Pointer Dereference)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2014-5353?

It affects 12 products.


Products: Canonical Ubuntu Linux, Debian Debian Linux, Fedoraproject Fedora, Mit Kerberos 5, Opensuse Opensuse, Oracle Solaris, Redhat Enterprise Linux Desktop, Redhat Enterprise Linux Eus, Redhat Enterprise Linux Server, Redhat Enterprise Linux Server Aus, Redhat Enterprise Linux Server Tus, Redhat Enterprise Linux Workstation.

## How do I fix CVE-2014-5353?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2014-5353 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2014-5353 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-2014-5353 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2014-5353 is a low-severity vulnerability in Canonical Ubuntu Linux, published on 16 Dec 2014. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2014-5353 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-2014-5353/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-5353/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2014-5353
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2014-5353
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2014-5353

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-5353/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.