CVE-2015-3206 is a high-severity (CVSS 8.1) Improper Authentication vulnerability in kerberos. A fix is available for kerberos — see the affected versions and patch details below.
python-kerberos vulnerable to KDC spoofing attacks
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
How urgent is this, really
Where this sits among everything scored
Real-World Exposure
kerberos🐍pykerberosReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects PyPI packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
The checkPassword function in python-kerberos does not authenticate the KDC it attempts to communicate with, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (bad response), or have other unspecified impact by performing a man-in-the-middle attack.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐍PyPI | kerberos | all versions | No fix |
| 🐍PyPI | pykerberos | all versions | 1.1.6pip install --upgrade 'pykerberos==1.1.6' |
Affected Products
pykerberosappleDetection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for kerberos, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
A fix is available for CVE-2015-3206; check the affected-versions list above or the advisory for the patched release of kerberos, then make sure no transitive dependency still pins the vulnerable range.
Workarounds
Put an independent control in front of the weakness: restrict the affected endpoint or interface to trusted networks, require an additional authentication factor or proxy-level check, and invalidate existing sessions and credentials in case the flaw has already been used.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2015-3206 in your dependencies?
Find it across PyPI, including transitive dependencies.