CVE-2001-0984 in Password Safe
Summary
by MITRE
Password Safe 1.7(1) leaves cleartext passwords in memory when a user copies the password to the clipboard and minimizes Password Safe with the "Clear the password when minimized" and "Lock password database on minimize and promp on restore" options enabled, which could allow an attacker with access to the memory (e.g. an administrator) to read the passwords.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/08/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2001-0984 affects Password Safe version 1.7(1) and represents a critical memory exposure issue that undermines the fundamental security assumptions of password management applications. This flaw occurs when users copy passwords to the clipboard while the application is configured with specific security settings that should protect sensitive data. The vulnerability demonstrates a fundamental failure in memory management and data sanitization practices within the password manager, creating a scenario where sensitive information remains accessible to unauthorized parties even after the application appears to have secured itself through user interaction.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper memory cleanup mechanisms within the Password Safe application. When users copy passwords to the clipboard and subsequently minimize the application with the specified security options enabled, the software fails to properly clear sensitive data from memory locations. This behavior creates a persistent memory footprint containing cleartext passwords that remain accessible to processes with sufficient privileges. The flaw operates at the intersection of application state management and memory security, where the expected security behavior of clearing passwords upon minimization is overridden by inadequate memory sanitization protocols. This issue directly relates to CWE-127 which addresses memory protection failures and CWE-200 which covers information exposure through improper error handling.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure to create significant security risks for organizations relying on Password Safe for credential management. An attacker with administrator privileges or system-level access can exploit this vulnerability to extract cleartext passwords from the application's memory space, effectively bypassing the intended security controls. This threat model aligns with ATT&CK technique T1003.001 which covers credential dumping, and T1059.001 which addresses command and scripting interpreter usage for data extraction. The vulnerability particularly affects environments where password managers are used in multi-user systems or where administrative access is shared among personnel, as the attacker need only have sufficient privileges to read process memory rather than requiring direct system compromise.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both immediate remediation and long-term architectural improvements in password management applications. The most direct approach involves disabling the problematic configuration options or updating to versions that properly implement memory sanitization. Organizations should implement memory monitoring tools to detect and alert on suspicious memory access patterns, particularly in systems where Password Safe is deployed. Additionally, security teams should consider implementing application whitelisting and process isolation measures to prevent unauthorized memory access. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper secure coding practices including immediate memory clearing upon application state changes and comprehensive input validation. System administrators should also consider implementing additional monitoring for clipboard operations and memory access patterns as part of their overall security posture. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of memory management in security-sensitive applications and the necessity of thorough testing for edge cases involving application state transitions and data sanitization procedures.