Himmelblau offline auth permits authentication with invalid Hello PIN
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Physical
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Security bypass
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- Low · High · None
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-287.
Summary
Himmelblau is an interoperability suite for Microsoft Azure Entra ID and Intune. A vulnerability present in versions 0.9.10 through 0.9.16 allows a user to authenticate to a Linux host via Himmelblau using an *invalid* Linux Hello PIN, provided the host is offline. While the user gains access to the local system, Single Sign-On (SSO) fails due to the network being down and the inability to issue tokens (due to a failure to unlock the Hello key). The core issue lies in an incorrect assumption within the `acquire_token_by_hello_for_business_key` function: it was expected to return a `TPMFail` error for an invalid Hello key when offline, but instead, a preceding nonce request resulted in a `RequestFailed` error, leading the system to erroneously transition to an offline success state without validating the Hello key unlock. This impacts systems using Himmelblau for authentication when operating in an offline state with Hello PIN authentication enabled. Rocky Linux 8 (and variants) are not affected by this vulnerability. The problem is resolved in Himmelblau version 0.9.17. A workaround is available for users who cannot immediately upgrade. Disabling Hello PIN authentication by setting `enable_hello = false` in `/etc/himmelblau/himmelblau.conf` will mitigate the vulnerability.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Partial
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| himmelblau-idm | himmelblau | 0.9.10 to before 0.9.17 | 0.9.17 | Patch available | CNA |
- himmelblau Vendorhimmelblau-idm Affected 0.9.10 to before 0.9.17 Fixed in 0.9.17 Patch available CNA
CPE names Threatist (inferred) · 1
Inferred from how NVD named this product before; not given by a source.
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:a:himmelblau-idm:himmelblau:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | — | — | himmelblau-idm |
- cpe:2.3:a:himmelblau-idm:himmelblau:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions — — ·himmelblau-idm
Remediation
- Fix · CNA himmelblau (himmelblau-idm) Fixed in 0.9.17
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2025-53013
References
More himmelblau-idm vulnerabilities
- TI-2026-24522 himmelblaud-tasks: local privilege escalation via /tmp symlink attack on Kerberos ccache CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2026-26683 himmelblau: NSS fake-primary group lookup reintroduces name collision risk CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.0
- TI-2025-34616 Himmelblau's Kerberos credential cache collection is world readable CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.1
- TI-2026-24501 Himmelblau unset domain configuration can allow any-tenant authentication at first login for remote deployments CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 10.0
- TI-2026-32945 Himmelblau: Authentication Bypass via Cross-User Local Session Impersonation in Device Authorization Grant (DAG) Flow CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
- TI-2025-31140 Himmelblau's Name-Based Group Matching in `pam_allow_groups` Leads to Potential Security Bypass CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 5.4
Sources
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences