Description
A flaw was found in 389-ds-base where the LDBM backend attribute encryption uses a hardcoded static initialization vector for AES-CBC and 3DES-CBC operations, allowing an attacker with privileged filesystem access to detect plaintext equality across encrypted entries by comparing ciphertext blocks.
Published: 2026-07-07
Score: 4.4 Medium
EPSS: < 1% Very Low
KEV: No
Impact: n/a
Action: n/a
AI Analysis

Impact

389-ds-base contains a flaw where the LDBM backend encrypts attribute values with a hard‑coded static initialization vector for AES‑CBC and 3DES‑CBC. Because the IV who can read the on‑disk database files can compare discover whether two encrypted attributes hold the same plaintext value. The plaintext itself remains encrypted, but the ability to infer equality can aid in mapping and anonymization attacks. This weakness is classified as CWE‑329. Based on the description, an attacker can therefore use this information to identify matching records, an inference that is not explicitly stated in the input and is therefore deduced.

Affected Systems

All Red Hat Directory Server releases 11, 12, and 13, as well as Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 through 10, are affected. The CVE lists these products explicitly via Red Hat identifiers. No specific version limits are provided beyond the product families; all iterations of the listed products remain vulnerable until a patch is applied.

Risk and Exploitability

The CVSS score of 4.4 indicates a moderate severity, while the EPSS score of less than 1 % means the probability of exploitation is low. The vulnerability is not in KEV catalog, implying no publicly known active exploits. Exploitation requires local or remote privileged access that allows read permission on the LDBM database directory (e.g. /var/lib/dirsrv/slapd‑<instance>/db/). Consequently, the risk is limited to environments where an attacker already has deep filesystem access. Even in such cases, the attacker learns only equality relationships between stored attributes, not the actual data.

Generated by OpenCVE AI on July 26, 2026 at 19:20 UTC.

Remediation

Vendor Workaround

Disable attribute encryption if it is not required for the deployment. If attribute encryption is required, restrict filesystem access to the LDBM database directory (/var/lib/dirsrv/slapd-<instance>/db/) to ensure only authorized administrators can read database files.


OpenCVE Recommended Actions

  • If attribute encryption is not needed in the deployment, discontinue its use to eliminate the risk.
  • If encryption must remain enabled, impose strict filesystem permissions on can read the database files.
  • Monitor Red Hat’s advisories and apply any patch or update that removes the static IV implementation when it becomes available.

Generated by OpenCVE AI on July 26, 2026 at 19:20 UTC.

Tracking

Sign in to view the affected projects.

Advisories

No advisories yet.

History

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 00:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
References
Metrics threat_severity

None

threat_severity

Moderate


Tue, 07 Jul 2026 17:30:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'partial'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}


Tue, 07 Jul 2026 16:00:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description A flaw was found in 389-ds-base where the LDBM backend attribute encryption uses a hardcoded static initialization vector for AES-CBC and 3DES-CBC operations, allowing an attacker with privileged filesystem access to detect plaintext equality across encrypted entries by comparing ciphertext blocks.
Title 389-ds-base: 389-ds-base: static initialization vector in aes-cbc/3des-cbc attribute encryption
First Time appeared Redhat
Redhat directory Server
Redhat enterprise Linux
Weaknesses CWE-329
CPEs cpe:/a:redhat:directory_server:11
cpe:/a:redhat:directory_server:12
cpe:/a:redhat:directory_server:13
cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:10
cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:6
cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:7
cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:8
cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:9
Vendors & Products Redhat
Redhat directory Server
Redhat enterprise Linux
References
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 4.4, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N'}


Subscriptions

Redhat Directory Server Enterprise Linux
cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: redhat

Published:

Updated: 2026-07-07T16:11:40.145Z

Reserved: 2026-07-07T15:32:40.440Z

Link: CVE-2026-14969

cve-icon Vulnrichment

Updated: 2026-07-07T16:11:36.312Z

cve-icon NVD

No data.

cve-icon Redhat

Severity : Moderate

Publid Date: 2026-07-07T15:32:28Z

Links: CVE-2026-14969 - Bugzilla

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

Updated: 2026-07-26T19:30:03Z

Weaknesses
  • CWE-329

    Generation of Predictable IV with CBC Mode