CVE-2023-29484 in Terminalfour
Summary
by MITRE • 10/25/2023
In Terminalfour before 8.3.16, misconfigured LDAP users are able to login with an invalid password.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/10/2025
This vulnerability affects Terminalfour versions prior to 8.3.16 and relates to improper authentication handling within the LDAP integration mechanism. The flaw allows authenticated users who have been misconfigured in the LDAP directory to bypass normal password validation procedures and gain unauthorized access to the system using invalid credentials. This represents a critical security weakness that undermines the fundamental authentication controls of the application.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from how Terminalfour processes LDAP authentication requests when user accounts are improperly configured within the directory service. When LDAP users are misconfigured, the system fails to properly validate the authentication flow and instead permits access even when the provided password does not match the expected credentials in the LDAP directory. This behavior violates standard authentication protocols and creates a backdoor for unauthorized access attempts.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability enables attackers to exploit misconfigured user accounts within LDAP directories to gain system access without proper authorization. The flaw essentially allows credential spraying attacks or brute force attempts against misconfigured accounts to succeed even when passwords are incorrect, significantly weakening the overall security posture of Terminalfour installations. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations that rely heavily on LDAP authentication for user management.
The vulnerability can be categorized under CWE-287 which addresses improper authentication issues in software systems. It aligns with ATT&CK technique T1110.003 which covers credential guessing through password spraying and brute force methods. Organizations using Terminalfour should immediately implement the available patch version 8.3.16 to resolve this issue, as the fix properly enforces LDAP authentication validation for all user accounts regardless of their configuration status within the directory service.
Security teams should conduct comprehensive audits of their LDAP integration settings and review all user account configurations to identify potentially misconfigured entries that could be exploited through this vulnerability. Additional monitoring should be implemented to detect unusual authentication patterns or failed login attempts that might indicate exploitation attempts against vulnerable systems. The patch addresses the root cause by ensuring that all LDAP authentication requests undergo proper credential validation before granting access, thereby preventing unauthorized access through misconfigured accounts.