HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2013-2120
HIGH

CVE-2013-2120

CWE-287Published: February 11, 2020· Updated: Jun 16, 2026

8.4
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

The %{password(...)} macro in pastemacroexpander.cpp in the KDE Paste Applet before 4.10.5 in kdeplasma-addons does not properly generate passwords, which allows context-dependent attackers to bypass authentication via a brute-force attack.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2013-2120 requires local access, meaning attackers must already have a foothold on the target system.

The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns and worm-like propagation.

A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 8.4.

From a weakness classification perspective (CWE-287): Authentication bypass vulnerabilities allow attackers to access protected resources without valid credentials.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorLocal
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.None
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

kde1 product(s)
paste applet
Source: NVD CPE · 1 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
Exploit-DB
Offensive Security exploit database
GitHub PoC Search
Community PoC repositories
Rapid7 / Metasploit
Metasploit module search
PacketStorm
Security advisories & exploits
NVD Detail
Official NIST entry
MITRE CVE
CVE Program entry
External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.

Official Patches & Advisories

PATCHhttps://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=969421
PATCHhttps://projects.kde.org/projects/kde/kdeplasma-addons/repository/revisions/36a1fe49cb70f717c4a6e9eeee2c9186503a8dce
PATCHhttps://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=969421
PATCHhttps://projects.kde.org/projects/kde/kdeplasma-addons/repository/revisions/36a1fe49cb70f717c4a6e9eeee2c9186503a8dce
ADVISORYhttp://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2013/05/28/5
ADVISORYhttp://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2013/05/29/6
ADVISORYhttp://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2013/05/28/5
ADVISORYhttp://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2013/05/29/6

All References (10)

→
http://archives.neohapsis.com/archives/bugtraq/2013-05/0114.htmlBroken Link
→
http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2013/05/28/5Exploit · Mailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2013/05/29/6Exploit · Mailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=969421Issue Tracking · Patch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://projects.kde.org/projects/kde/kdeplasma-addons/repository/revisions/36a1fe49cb70f717c4a6e9eeee2c9186503a8dceMailing List · Patch · Vendor Advisory
→
http://archives.neohapsis.com/archives/bugtraq/2013-05/0114.htmlBroken Link
→
http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2013/05/28/5Exploit · Mailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2013/05/29/6Exploit · Mailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=969421Issue Tracking · Patch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://projects.kde.org/projects/kde/kdeplasma-addons/repository/revisions/36a1fe49cb70f717c4a6e9eeee2c9186503a8dceMailing List · Patch · Vendor Advisory

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2013-2120
CVSS Score8.4 / 10
SeverityHIGH
WeaknessCWE-287
CISA KEVNo
Affected1 vendor(s)
PublishedFeb 11, 2020

Related CVEs (CWE-287)

CVE-2011-3478
10.0
CVE-2024-11186
10.0
CVE-2011-4051
10.0
CVE-2011-2963
10.0
CVE-2002-2417
10.0
CVE-2025-5597
10.0

Recommended Actions

  • →Apply vendor patches immediately
  • →Monitor CVE-2013-2120 in threat intel feeds
  • →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts
Data sourced from NVD (NIST), CISA KEV, and EPSS (FIRST). Analysis generated by CTIWATCH.COM. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.
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