CVE-2010-0666 in eDirectory
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in eMBox in Novell eDirectory 8.8 SP5 Patch 2 and earlier allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via unknown a crafted SOAP request, a different issue than CVE-2008-0926.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/01/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-0666 represents a critical security flaw within Novell eDirectory 8.8 SP5 Patch 2 and earlier versions, specifically affecting the eMBox component. This issue manifests as an unspecified vulnerability that enables remote attackers to execute a denial of service attack resulting in system crashes. The vulnerability operates through crafted SOAP requests that exploit weaknesses in the eMBox processing mechanisms, fundamentally disrupting the availability of the targeted directory services. Unlike CVE-2008-0926 which addressed different attack vectors, CVE-2010-0666 specifically targets the SOAP request handling within eMBox, creating a distinct threat landscape for organizations utilizing these older eDirectory versions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and error handling within the eMBox SOAP request processing subsystem. When malformed or specially crafted SOAP requests are submitted to the vulnerable eDirectory server, the system fails to properly sanitize or validate the incoming data before processing. This lack of proper validation creates exploitable conditions where malicious actors can construct specific SOAP payloads that trigger memory corruption, buffer overflows, or other internal system failures. The vulnerability's classification as a remote attack vector means that adversaries need not have physical access or local credentials to exploit this weakness, making it particularly dangerous in networked environments where directory services are exposed to external traffic.
The operational impact of CVE-2010-0666 extends beyond simple system crashes to encompass significant business disruption and service degradation. Organizations relying on Novell eDirectory for directory services, authentication, and access control mechanisms face potential outages that can cascade across their entire IT infrastructure. Directory services form the backbone of many enterprise authentication systems, and when these services become unavailable due to denial of service attacks, downstream applications, databases, and user access systems all experience disruption. The vulnerability's ability to cause system crashes means that administrators must implement immediate response procedures including system restarts, service recovery operations, and potential network isolation to contain the attack. This disruption can result in productivity losses, compliance violations, and potential data accessibility issues for legitimate users.
Organizations must implement multiple layers of mitigation strategies to address CVE-2010-0666 effectively. The primary recommendation involves upgrading to Novell eDirectory versions that contain patches addressing this vulnerability, specifically targeting versions beyond 8.8 SP5 Patch 2. Network-level protections should include implementing firewall rules that restrict SOAP request access to trusted sources only, deploying intrusion detection systems that can identify anomalous SOAP traffic patterns, and establishing network segmentation to limit the attack surface. Additionally, administrators should configure logging mechanisms to monitor SOAP request processing and establish alerting protocols for unusual system behavior. From a security standards perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-129, which addresses improper validation of input boundaries, and represents a variant of the broader class of denial of service vulnerabilities that fall under ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network denial of service. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to ensure that similar issues do not exist in other components of the directory service infrastructure, as this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of comprehensive input validation across all service interfaces.