CVE-2024-2199 in Directory Server
Summary
by MITRE • 05/28/2024
A denial of service vulnerability was found in 389-ds-base ldap server. This issue may allow an authenticated user to cause a server crash while modifying `userPassword` using malformed input.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/03/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-2199 represents a critical denial of service weakness within the 389-ds-base LDAP server implementation that affects organizations relying on this directory service for identity management and authentication. This flaw specifically manifests when an authenticated user attempts to modify the userPassword attribute through malformed input sequences, potentially leading to complete server termination and disruption of directory services. The vulnerability resides in the server's processing logic for handling password modification operations, where insufficient input validation allows crafted malicious payloads to trigger unexpected behavior in the underlying directory server infrastructure.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of the userPassword attribute during LDAP modify operations, where the server fails to properly validate or sanitize input data before processing. When an authenticated user submits malformed data to the userPassword field, the 389-ds-base server encounters an unhandled exception or memory corruption scenario that results in immediate process termination. This behavior aligns with CWE-129, which describes improper validation of input ranges, and CWE-248, which covers exposure of an exception to an unauthorized user. The flaw demonstrates characteristics of a buffer overflow condition or memory corruption vulnerability that can be triggered by carefully crafted input sequences, making it particularly dangerous in environments where directory services are critical for system authentication and access control.
The operational impact of CVE-2024-2199 extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise entire authentication infrastructures that depend on the affected LDAP server. Organizations experiencing this vulnerability may face extended downtime for directory services, requiring manual intervention to restart the server processes and potentially resulting in cascading failures across systems that rely on LDAP for authentication. The authenticated nature of the exploit means that malicious actors with legitimate credentials could leverage this vulnerability to create persistent service disruptions, making it particularly concerning for environments with high availability requirements. This vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1489, which covers denial of service attacks, and represents a significant risk to enterprise security posture where directory services form the foundation of identity and access management systems.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-2199 should prioritize immediate patch application from the vendor, as the 389-ds-base project has released security updates addressing the specific input validation issues. Organizations should implement additional monitoring and alerting for unusual LDAP modify operations targeting the userPassword attribute, particularly those involving malformed or unexpected input patterns. Network segmentation and access controls should be reviewed to limit the scope of potential exploitation, while implementing proper logging and audit trails for all LDAP operations. Security teams should also consider implementing automated systems to detect and prevent malformed input patterns from reaching the LDAP server, utilizing input sanitization mechanisms and regular vulnerability scanning to identify similar issues in other directory service components. The vulnerability underscores the importance of robust input validation practices and proper error handling in critical infrastructure components, particularly those handling authentication-related data modifications.