# CVE-2021-3652: Auth bypass in 389-ds-base

> An attacker can authenticate as a user with a disabled password if an asterisk is used as the password hash, bypassing authentication controls.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 18 Apr 2022
- **Updated:** 3 Nov 2025
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2021-3652, GHSA-qc73-mcqm-3m29, MGASA-2021-0440, RHSA-2021:3079, RHSA-2021:3807, RHSA-2021:3906, RLSA-2021:3079, SUSE-SU-2021:2801-1, SUSE-SU-2021:2857-1, openSUSE-SU-2021:1211-1, openSUSE-SU-2021:2801-1

## What is CVE-2021-3652?

CVE-2021-3652 is a medium-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in 389-ds-base, published on 18 Apr 2022. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A flaw was found in 389-ds-base. If an asterisk is imported as password hashes, either accidentally or maliciously, then instead of being inactive, any password will successfully match during authentication. This flaw allows an attacker to successfully authenticate as a user whose password was disabled.

Weakness: CWE-287 (Improper Authentication)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-3652?

It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `389-ds-base` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | All versions | 0:1.3.10.2-13.el7_9 |
| `389-ds-base-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | All versions | 0:1.3.10.2-13.el7_9 |
| `389-ds-base-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | All versions | 0:1.3.10.2-13.el7_9 |
| `389-ds-base-libs` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | All versions | 0:1.3.10.2-13.el7_9 |
| `389-ds-base-snmp` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | All versions | 0:1.3.10.2-13.el7_9 |
| `389-ds-base` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::computenode | All versions | 0:1.3.10.2-13.el7_9 |
| `389-ds-base-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::computenode | All versions | 0:1.3.10.2-13.el7_9 |
| `389-ds-base-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::computenode | All versions | 0:1.3.10.2-13.el7_9 |
| `389-ds-base-libs` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::computenode | All versions | 0:1.3.10.2-13.el7_9 |
| `389-ds-base-snmp` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::computenode | All versions | 0:1.3.10.2-13.el7_9 |
| `389-ds-base` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server | All versions | 0:1.3.10.2-13.el7_9 |
| `389-ds-base-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server | All versions | 0:1.3.10.2-13.el7_9 |
| `389-ds-base-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server | All versions | 0:1.3.10.2-13.el7_9 |
| `389-ds-base-libs` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server | All versions | 0:1.3.10.2-13.el7_9 |
| `389-ds-base-snmp` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server | All versions | 0:1.3.10.2-13.el7_9 |
| `389-ds-base` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::workstation | All versions | 0:1.3.10.2-13.el7_9 |
| `389-ds-base-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::workstation | All versions | 0:1.3.10.2-13.el7_9 |
| `389-ds-base-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::workstation | All versions | 0:1.3.10.2-13.el7_9 |
| `389-ds-base-libs` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::workstation | All versions | 0:1.3.10.2-13.el7_9 |
| `389-ds-base-snmp` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::workstation | All versions | 0:1.3.10.2-13.el7_9 |
| `389-ds-base` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | All versions | 0:1.4.3.16-19.module+el8.4.0+11894+f5bb5c43 |
| `389-ds-base-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | All versions | 0:1.4.3.16-19.module+el8.4.0+11894+f5bb5c43 |
| `389-ds-base-debugsource` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | All versions | 0:1.4.3.16-19.module+el8.4.0+11894+f5bb5c43 |
| `389-ds-base-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | All versions | 0:1.4.3.16-19.module+el8.4.0+11894+f5bb5c43 |
| `389-ds-base-legacy-tools` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | All versions | 0:1.4.3.16-19.module+el8.4.0+11894+f5bb5c43 |
| `389-ds-base-legacy-tools-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | All versions | 0:1.4.3.16-19.module+el8.4.0+11894+f5bb5c43 |
| `389-ds-base-libs` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | All versions | 0:1.4.3.16-19.module+el8.4.0+11894+f5bb5c43 |
| `389-ds-base-libs-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | All versions | 0:1.4.3.16-19.module+el8.4.0+11894+f5bb5c43 |
| `389-ds-base-snmp` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | All versions | 0:1.4.3.16-19.module+el8.4.0+11894+f5bb5c43 |
| `389-ds-base-snmp-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | All versions | 0:1.4.3.16-19.module+el8.4.0+11894+f5bb5c43 |
| `python3-lib389` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | All versions | 0:1.4.3.16-19.module+el8.4.0+11894+f5bb5c43 |
| `389-ds-base` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:8.2::appstream | All versions | 0:1.4.2.4-17.module+el8.2.0+12297+55707ea6 |
| `389-ds-base-debuginfo` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:8.2::appstream | All versions | 0:1.4.2.4-17.module+el8.2.0+12297+55707ea6 |
| `389-ds-base-debugsource` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:8.2::appstream | All versions | 0:1.4.2.4-17.module+el8.2.0+12297+55707ea6 |
| `389-ds-base-devel` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:8.2::appstream | All versions | 0:1.4.2.4-17.module+el8.2.0+12297+55707ea6 |
| `389-ds-base-legacy-tools` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:8.2::appstream | All versions | 0:1.4.2.4-17.module+el8.2.0+12297+55707ea6 |
| `389-ds-base-legacy-tools-debuginfo` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:8.2::appstream | All versions | 0:1.4.2.4-17.module+el8.2.0+12297+55707ea6 |
| `389-ds-base-libs` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:8.2::appstream | All versions | 0:1.4.2.4-17.module+el8.2.0+12297+55707ea6 |
| `389-ds-base-libs-debuginfo` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:8.2::appstream | All versions | 0:1.4.2.4-17.module+el8.2.0+12297+55707ea6 |
| `389-ds-base-snmp` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:8.2::appstream | All versions | 0:1.4.2.4-17.module+el8.2.0+12297+55707ea6 |

Products: Port389 389-Ds-Base.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-3652?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2021-3652 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-3652 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in 389-ds-base

- [CVE-2022-0918](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0918/): Denial of service in 389-ds-base (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2021-4091](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-4091/): Use after free in 389-ds-base (high 7.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-3652 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-3652 is a medium-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in 389-ds-base, published on 18 Apr 2022. 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-2021-3652 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: 389-ds-base. 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-2021-3652/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-3652/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-3652
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-3652
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-3652

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-3652/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.