HIGH CVSS 7.5
Published: 2021-03-15

CVE-2021-28374

debian courier-authlib Security Advisory (CVE-2021-28374)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2021-28374 impacting debian courier-authlib. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 7.5 (HIGH).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
The Debian courier-authlib package before 0.71.1-2 for Courier Authentication Library creates a /run/courier/authdaemon directory with weak permissions, allowing an attacker to read user information. This may include a cleartext password in some configurations. In general, it includes the user's existence, uid and gids, home and/or Maildir directory, quota, and some type of password information (such as a hash).

📊 CVSS v3.1 Metric Breakdown

Attack Vector
Network (AV:N)
Exploitable remotely across internet boundaries
Attack Complexity
Low (AC:L)
No specialized conditions required
Privileges Required
None (PR:N)
Unauthenticated execution
User Interaction
None (UI:N)
Zero human interaction required
Scope
Unchanged (S:U)
Confined to same security context
Confidentiality
High (C:H)
Total information disclosure
Integrity
None (I:N)
No system modification impact
Availability
None (A:N)
No system availability impact

🎯 Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product debian / courier-authlib
Affected Versions *
Weakness Enumeration CWE-732

Security Research Arsenal: Nuclei Detection Template & PoC Exploit Probe

High-Intent Research Tool

Ready-to-use security scanner signatures, active verification probe skeletons, and remediation playbooks for CVE-2021-28374 impacting debian courier-authlib.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2021-28374.yaml
id: cve-2021-28374

info:
  name: debian courier-authlib - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: high
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2021-28374 affecting debian courier-authlib.
    Evaluation: The Debian courier-authlib package before 0.71.1-2 for Courier Authentication Library creates a /run/courier/authdaemon directory with weak permission...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2021-28374
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
    cvss-score: 7.5
    cve-id: CVE-2021-28374
    cwe-id: CWE-732
  tags: cve,cve-2021-28374,debian,courier-authlib,high

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "courier-authlib"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2021-28374.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2021-28374
# Target: debian courier-authlib | CVSS: 7.5 (HIGH)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2021-28374 (debian courier-authlib)...")
    headers = {
        "User-Agent": "CyberVault-Audit-Scanner/2.0",
        "Accept": "*/*"
    }
    try:
        r = requests.get(f"{target_url.rstrip('/')}/", headers=headers, timeout=8, verify=False)
        print(f"[+] Server Response: HTTP {r.status_code} | Server Banner: {r.headers.get('Server', 'Unknown')}")
        if r.status_code < 500:
            print(f"[!] Target reachable. Verify version against debian courier-authlib scope (*).")
        return True
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"[-] Connection Error: {e}")
        return False

if __name__ == '__main__':
    url = sys.argv[1] if len(sys.argv) > 1 else "http://localhost:8080"
    verify_vulnerability(url)
🛡️ Quick Patch & Remediation Script (Bash) patch_cve-2021-28374.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2021-28374
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install courier-authlib 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade courier-authlib 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update courier-authlib

# 2. Inspect installed package versions for vulnerable scope:
dpkg -l | grep -i courier-authlib 2>/dev/null || rpm -qa | grep -i courier-authlib

# 3. Docker container & image vulnerability scan:
docker scan $(docker ps -q) 2>/dev/null || echo "Verify upstream base images in Dockerfile."

🛡️ Remediation & Security Action

  • Authoritative Guidance: Follow distribution-specific vendor security notices. Advisory status and package patches vary by distribution release.
  • Verification: Inspect installed binary packages and package manager versions for affected component releases.
  • Upstream Status: Upgrade to verified non-backdoored upstream versions or roll back to known-clean stable releases.
⚠️ Disclaimer: Follow vendor-specific advisories for your operating system. CyberVault does not fabricate unsupported remediation scripts.

🔗 Verified Technical References

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Remediation Guide

How do I fix CVE-2021-28374 in debian courier-authlib?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update debian courier-authlib packages to the latest patched release immediately. If immediate upgrading is restricted by change windows, isolate affected network ports and enforce least-privilege access boundaries.

Is there an active exploit or public PoC for CVE-2021-28374?

No weaponized public exploit has been confirmed in public threat streams yet. Continuous surveillance is active across GitHub and security feeds.

What is the CVSS 3.1 severity rating and impact for CVE-2021-28374?

CVE-2021-28374 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 7.5 (HIGH). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
7.5
HIGH SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2021-28374
Weakness CWE-732
Vendor debian
Product courier-authlib
Published 2021-03-15
Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N