def _match_equal_to(search_base, attribute, value, candidates):
        matches = list()
        match_using_regex = False

        if "*" in value:
            match_using_regex = True
            #regex = check_escape(value)
            regex = value.replace('*', '.*')
            regex = "^{0}$".format(regex)

        for entry in candidates:
            dn = to_unicode(entry.get("dn"))

            if attribute not in entry.get("attributes") or not dn.endswith(search_base):
                continue

            values_from_directory = entry.get("attributes").get(attribute)
            if isinstance(values_from_directory, list):
                for item in values_from_directory:
                    if attribute == "objectGUID":
                        item = _convert_objectGUID(item)

                    if match_using_regex:
                        m = re.match(regex, str(item), re.I)
                        if m:
                            entry["type"] = "searchResEntry"
                            matches.append(entry)
                    else:
                        if item == value:
                            entry["type"] = "searchResEntry"
                            matches.append(entry)

            else:
                if attribute == "objectGUID":
                    values_from_directory = _convert_objectGUID(values_from_directory)

                if match_using_regex:
                    m = re.match(regex, str(values_from_directory), re.I)
                    if m:
                        entry["type"] = "searchResEntry"
                        matches.append(entry)
                else:
                    # The value, which we compare is unicode, so we convert
                    # the values_from_directory to unicode rather than str.
                    if isinstance(values_from_directory, bytes):
                        values_from_directory = values_from_directory.decode(
                            "utf-8")
                    elif type(values_from_directory) == int:
                        values_from_directory = u"{0!s}".format(values_from_directory)
                    if value == values_from_directory:
                        entry["type"] = "searchResEntry"
                        matches.append(entry)

        return matches