CVE-2024-33901
Keepassxc 2.7.7
Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:NSummary
CVE-2024-33901 is a medium-severity Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information in Memory (CWE-316) vulnerability in Keepassxc Keepassxc. Its CVSS base score is 6.5 (Medium).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique OS Credential Dumping (T1003); ranked at the 50th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to AC-3 (Access Enforcement) and SC-39 (Process Isolation) — see the control section below for these in your framework.
Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary
Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.
CVE-2024-33901 affects KeePassXC 2.7.7 and stems from memory-management behavior that leaves portions of decrypted .kdbx database contents, including some stored passwords, readable in process memory. The flaw is tracked under CWE-316 and carries a CVSS 3.1 score of 6.5 reflecting network attack vector, low complexity, and low-privileged access resulting in high confidentiality impact.
An attacker who already possesses the privileges of the victim user can obtain a memory dump of the KeePassXC process and extract the exposed password material. Because the issue is inherent to the current design constraints around keeping decrypted data in RAM for usability, the vendor disputes that the behavior constitutes a vulnerability that can be eliminated without unacceptable trade-offs.
Public references, including the KeePassXC issue tracker and the project’s prior memory-security write-up, indicate no patch is planned and reiterate that realistic alternatives still require sensitive data to reside in process memory during active sessions. The associated EPSS score has remained flat at 0.2377 with no observed rise after disclosure.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2024-31605
Vulnerability Data
Issue in KeePassXC 2.7.7 allows an attacker (who has the privileges of the victim) to recover some passwords stored in the .kdbx database via a memory dump. NOTE: the vendor disputes this because memory-management constraints make this unavoidable in the…
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current design and other realistic designs.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Control response
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- 3 hardening rules · 2 OS baselines
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Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
Access enforcement limits which subjects can read memory locations holding the cleartext data.
Process isolation confines the cleartext data to its own execution domain, shrinking exposure.
Prevents unintended transfer of the cleartext contents through shared memory resources.
Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Explicitly calls for removing confidential data from process memory, directly mitigating cleartext storage.
Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Security testing can detect cleartext secrets in memory dumps or debug output.
Secure deletion practices reduce residual cleartext after use, but do not prevent initial storage.
DLP tooling can monitor and block processes that leave sensitive data unencrypted in memory.
Cryptographic controls can mandate encryption of sensitive data in memory, directly reducing cleartext exposure.
Secure-SDLC processes include memory-handling reviews that catch this weakness.
Secure-coding standards explicitly require avoiding plaintext storage of secrets in RAM.
Hardening callouts derived
Configuration rules from DISA STIG baselines that bear on weaknesses of the type cited by this CVE. Each rule is shown with the relationship its mapping actually records, against the CWE it was authored against. Derived via CVE→CWE over `controls_xwalks` (authoritative rows only; rows rated `none` are excluded).
Oracle Linux 9 (1 rule)
- V-271730 OL 9 must disable storing core dumps. prevents CWE-316