CVE-2024-2199 is a vulnerability identified in the 389-ds-base LDAP server, specifically related to improper input validation when an authenticated user attempts to modify the userPassword attribute. The flaw allows a denial of service (DoS) condition by crashing the LDAP server when malformed input is processed during password modification. The vulnerability requires the attacker to have valid authentication credentials, but no further user interaction is necessary. The CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.7 indicates a medium severity, with the vector AV:A/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H, meaning the attack can be performed over a network with low attack complexity, requires privileges, does not impact confidentiality or integrity, but causes a complete loss of availability of the LDAP service. The LDAP server is a critical component in many enterprise environments for directory services, authentication, and authorization. A DoS on this service can disrupt user authentication and access control, potentially halting business operations dependent on LDAP. No patches or exploits are currently reported, but the vulnerability is publicly disclosed and should be addressed promptly. The lack of known exploits suggests limited active exploitation but does not preclude future attacks.

For European organizations, the primary impact is on availability of LDAP services, which can disrupt authentication and directory lookups critical for enterprise applications, email systems, and internal portals. This can lead to operational downtime, loss of productivity, and potential cascading failures in systems relying on LDAP for identity management. Organizations in sectors such as government, finance, healthcare, and telecommunications that rely heavily on 389-ds-base or similar LDAP implementations are at higher risk. The requirement for authenticated access limits exposure to internal or compromised users, but insider threats or lateral movement by attackers could exploit this vulnerability. The disruption could also affect compliance with regulations requiring continuous availability of identity services. While confidentiality and integrity are not directly impacted, the denial of service could indirectly affect security monitoring and incident response capabilities.

Organizations should monitor for unusual or malformed userPassword modification attempts in LDAP logs and restrict password modification privileges to trusted administrators. Implement network segmentation and strong access controls to limit who can authenticate to the LDAP server. Apply principle of least privilege to reduce the number of users with password modification rights. Once patches or updates are released by the 389-ds-base maintainers or Red Hat, they should be applied promptly. In the interim, consider deploying rate limiting or anomaly detection on LDAP operations to detect and block suspicious activity. Regularly back up LDAP data and have failover or redundancy mechanisms to maintain service availability in case of a crash. Conduct internal audits to ensure no unauthorized accounts have password modification privileges. Finally, incorporate this vulnerability into incident response plans to quickly address potential exploitation attempts.