How severe is CVE-2021-45083?

CVE-2021-45083 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.1, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability none.

Is CVE-2021-45083 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (22nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2021-45083?

CVE-2021-45083 primarily affects Cobbler Project Cobbler. In total, 4 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2021-45083?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2021-45083 published?

CVE-2021-45083 was published on 2022-02-20 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2021-45083

CVE-2021-45083 is a high-severity vulnerability in Cobbler Project Cobbler with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.1. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-276.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.1)
CVSS v2: 3.6
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (22nd percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-276
Affected product: Cobbler Project Cobbler
Published: 2022-02-20
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

An issue was discovered in Cobbler before 3.3.1. Files in /etc/cobbler are world readable. Two of those files contain some sensitive information that can be exposed to a local user who has non-privileged access to the server. The users.digest file contains the sha2-512 digest of users in a Cobbler local installation. In the case of an easy-to-guess password, it's trivial to obtain the plaintext string. The settings.yaml file contains secrets such as the hashed default password.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2021-45083?: An issue was discovered in Cobbler before 3.3.1. Files in /etc/cobbler are world readable. Two of those files contain some sensitive information that can be exposed to a local user who has non-privileged access to the server. The users.digest file contains the sha2-512 digest of users in a Cobbler local installation. In the case of an easy-to-guess password, it's trivial to obtain the plaintext string. The settings.yaml file contains secrets such as the hashed default password.
How severe is CVE-2021-45083?: CVE-2021-45083 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.1, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability none.
Is CVE-2021-45083 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (22nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2021-45083?: CVE-2021-45083 primarily affects Cobbler Project Cobbler. In total, 4 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2021-45083?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2021-45083 published?: CVE-2021-45083 was published on 2022-02-20 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (4)

cpe:2.3:a:cobbler_project:cobbler:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:34:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:35:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:36:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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