CVE-2023-38994: The 'check_univention_joinstatus' prometheus monitoring script (and other scripts) in UCS 5.0-5 revealed the L

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HIGH 7.9MITIGATE

CVE-2023-38994 is a high-severity flaw (CVSS 7.9) affecting univention corporate server. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

The 'check_univention_joinstatus' prometheus monitoring script (and other scripts) in UCS 5.0-5 revealed the LDAP plaintext password of the machine account in the process list allowing attackers with local ssh access to gain higher privileges and perform followup attacks. By default, the configuration of UCS does not allow local ssh access for regular users.

Why this priority

High severity
Public exploit reference

No fix is published yet: follow the downgrade or mitigation steps.

Risk facts

CVSS score	7.9 (High)
Attack vector	Local
Attack complexity	Low
Privileges needed	High
User interaction	None
EPSS exploit chance	0.3% (top 72%)
CISA exploited list	No
Weakness	CWE-668
Published	2023-10-31
Last modified	2026-06-17

Publisher (CNA): MITRE · Vendor: univention

Last updated 2026-06-17 · Sources: CVE Program, NVD, CISA KEV, EPSS and vendor advisories · How we score

Am I affected?

Timeline

2023-10-31 12:15 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-17 06:11 UTCUpdated Record last modified

univention univention corporate server MITIGATE

Affected: 5.0

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 5.0

Check your OS release

cat /etc/os-release; uname -r

Debian / Ubuntu

sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade

RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora

sudo dnf upgrade --refresh

Windows

Install the latest cumulative update from Windows Update

If no patch exists yet

OS downgrades are not safe. Apply the vendor mitigation from the advisory and restrict exposure.

Verify at the official source NVD · CVE Program · Report a problem with this page
Scores and fixes here are computed automatically from those and other public sources. Confirm with the vendor advisory before changing production systems.

Quick answers

How do I fix CVE-2023-38994?

univention corporate server: mitigate or apply the listed mitigation. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Is CVE-2023-38994 being exploited?

CVE-2023-38994 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.

What does CVE-2023-38994 affect?

CVE-2023-38994 affects univention corporate server. Severity is high (CVSS 7.9). The 'check_univention_joinstatus' prometheus monitoring script (and other scripts) in UCS 5.0-5 revealed the LDAP plaintext password of the machine account in the process list allowing attackers with local ssh access to gain higher privileg

How urgent is CVE-2023-38994?

Priority 40/100. High severity; Public exploit reference

Software pages

Prometheus vulnerabilities

Related CVEs

CVE-2019-1010283 HIGH 7.5 UPGRADE Univention Corporate Server univention-directory-notifier 12.0.1-3 and earlier is affected by: CWE-213: Intent

References

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