# CVE-2014-9278: Auth bypass in n/a

> Remote authenticated users can bypass local login requirements to log in as another user in Kerberos-enabled OpenSSH environments.

- **Severity:** Medium 4.0 (`AV:N/AC:L/Au:S/C:N/I:P/A:N`)
- **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:** 6 Dec 2014
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-q38j-wxrx-r48r

## What is CVE-2014-9278?

CVE-2014-9278 is a medium-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in OpenSSH, published on 6 Dec 2014. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The OpenSSH server, as used in Fedora and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 and when running in a Kerberos environment, allows remote authenticated users to log in as another user when they are listed in the .k5users file of that user, which might bypass intended authentication requirements that would force a local login.

Weakness: CWE-287 (Improper Authentication)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2014-9278?

It affects 1 product.


Products: OpenSSH.

## How do I fix CVE-2014-9278?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2014-9278 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2014-9278 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in OpenSSH

- [CVE-2003-0786](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2003-0786/): Auth bypass in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2003-0693](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2003-0693/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2002-0640](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2002-0640/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2001-0144](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2001-0144/): Integer overflow in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2000-0999](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2000-0999/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 10.0)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2014-9278 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2014-9278 is a medium-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in OpenSSH, published on 6 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-2014-9278 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: OpenSSH. 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-2014-9278/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-9278/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2014-9278
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2014-9278
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2014-9278

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-9278/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.