CVE-2000-0748 in OpenLDAP
Summary
by MITRE
OpenLDAP 1.2.11 and earlier improperly installs the ud binary with group write permissions, which could allow any user in that group to replace the binary with a Trojan horse.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/27/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2000-0748 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw in OpenLDAP versions 1.2.11 and earlier. This issue stems from improper file system permissions during the installation process of the ud binary component, which serves as a utility for managing directory services. The flaw creates a significant security weakness by granting group write permissions to a binary that should be protected from modification by unauthorized users within the same group membership.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the installation of the ud binary with world-writable group permissions, specifically allowing any member of the designated group to modify or replace the binary file. This permission misconfiguration creates a race condition scenario where malicious users can substitute the legitimate binary with a malicious Trojan horse version. The flaw operates at the file system level and directly violates the principle of least privilege, as the binary should only be modifiable by the system administrator or specific privileged accounts.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability enables attackers with group membership to escalate their privileges and potentially gain unauthorized access to the system. The impact extends beyond simple privilege escalation to include potential data compromise, service disruption, and unauthorized system control. The vulnerability affects the integrity of the OpenLDAP service and can lead to complete system compromise if exploited successfully. Attackers can leverage this flaw to maintain persistent access, establish backdoors, or execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges.
The vulnerability maps directly to CWE-732, which addresses Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers Exploitation for Privilege Escalation. Organizations using affected OpenLDAP versions face significant risk from this vulnerability, as it requires minimal effort to exploit and can provide attackers with substantial system control. The flaw demonstrates poor security hygiene in the software installation process and highlights the importance of proper permission management.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability include immediate patching of OpenLDAP installations to versions that properly secure binary permissions, manual verification and correction of file permissions for the ud binary, and implementation of proper access controls. System administrators should ensure that only authorized personnel have membership in groups that can modify critical system binaries. Regular security audits of file permissions and access controls should be conducted to identify and remediate similar issues. The vulnerability also underscores the necessity of following security best practices such as implementing the principle of least privilege and conducting thorough security reviews during software installation processes.