CVE-2000-1145 in ManTrap
Summary
by MITRE
Recourse ManTrap 1.6 allows attackers who have gained root access to use utilities such as crash or fsdb to read /dev/mem and raw disk devices to identify ManTrap processes or modify arbitrary data files.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/28/2018
The vulnerability described in CVE-2000-1145 affects Recourse ManTrap version 1.6, a network security monitoring tool designed to detect and log suspicious network activities. This issue represents a critical privilege escalation and data integrity compromise vulnerability that arises from improper access controls within the system's utility functions. The flaw specifically manifests when an attacker has already established root access to the target system, creating a dangerous scenario where previously gained elevated privileges can be leveraged to perform additional malicious activities that would otherwise be restricted.
The technical flaw stems from the implementation of utilities such as crash and fsdb within the ManTrap framework, which are traditionally system debugging and file system diagnostic tools. These utilities are designed to provide low-level access to system resources, but in this vulnerable version, they lack proper access controls that would normally prevent unauthorized data access. The vulnerability allows attackers to directly read from /dev/mem, which provides access to physical memory, and raw disk devices, enabling them to examine process memory spaces and potentially extract sensitive information about running ManTrap processes or modify arbitrary data files. This represents a significant bypass of the intended security boundaries that should protect the integrity of the monitoring system's operational data.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted. An attacker who has already gained root access can use this vulnerability to escalate their capabilities further by examining system memory contents, potentially extracting passwords, encryption keys, or other sensitive information stored in memory. The ability to modify arbitrary data files through raw disk access creates opportunities for data corruption, information disclosure, or even complete system compromise. Additionally, the vulnerability undermines the integrity of the security monitoring system itself, as attackers can potentially hide their activities from the ManTrap processes or manipulate the system's operational data, effectively disabling or subverting the very security measures designed to protect the network infrastructure.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control, and demonstrates how inadequate privilege management can create dangerous escalation paths within security tools. The issue also relates to ATT&CK technique T1059, where adversaries use system utilities to execute commands and access system resources, and T1566, which covers social engineering and exploitation of system utilities. Organizations using ManTrap or similar security monitoring tools should implement immediate mitigations including restricting access to debugging utilities, implementing proper access controls on /dev/mem and raw disk devices, and ensuring that only authorized personnel have root access to systems running such monitoring tools. Regular security audits and privilege reviews should be conducted to prevent unauthorized access to critical system resources and ensure that security tools maintain their integrity and effectiveness in protecting network infrastructure.