CVE-2002-0295 in OmniPCX
Summary
by MITRE
Alcatel OmniPCX 4400 installs files with world-writable permissions, which allows local users to reconfigure the system and possibly gain privileges.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/07/2018
The Alcatel OmniPCX 4400 is a telephony system that serves as a central communication hub for enterprise environments, managing voice and data communications across multiple devices. This system operates with critical infrastructure responsibilities and handles sensitive business communications. The vulnerability described in CVE-2002-0295 represents a fundamental security flaw in the system's installation and file permission handling mechanisms. When the system installs its components, it creates files with world-writable permissions, meaning any local user account on the system can modify these critical files. This configuration directly violates the principle of least privilege and creates a significant attack surface for local threat actors.
The technical flaw stems from improper file permission assignment during the installation process of the OmniPCX 4400 system. Specifically, the system creates files with permissions that allow write access to all users rather than restricting access to authorized administrative accounts only. This misconfiguration enables local users to modify system files that control critical telephony functions, configuration parameters, and potentially authentication mechanisms. The vulnerability is classified as a privilege escalation issue because local users can exploit these world-writable files to gain elevated system privileges. According to CWE guidelines, this represents a CWE-73: "External Control of File Name or Path" combined with CWE-276: "Incorrect Default Permissions," where the system fails to establish secure default file permissions during installation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation to encompass complete system compromise and potential data exfiltration. Local users with access to the system can manipulate telephony configurations, redirect calls, modify user accounts, and potentially gain unauthorized access to sensitive communication channels. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where multiple users may have local access to the system, as it provides a persistent backdoor for attackers. From an adversarial perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, "Local Privilege Escalation," and T1078, "Valid Accounts," as it allows attackers to leverage existing local accounts to achieve elevated privileges without requiring additional authentication credentials.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate permission correction and long-term system hardening. System administrators must manually correct file permissions on all installed components to ensure that only authorized administrative accounts have write access to critical system files. The recommended approach involves implementing proper file permission controls during installation, establishing secure default permissions, and conducting regular audits to verify that no world-writable files exist in critical system directories. Additionally, organizations should implement comprehensive system monitoring to detect unauthorized file modifications and establish automated processes for permission verification. The vulnerability highlights the importance of secure system installation practices and demonstrates how seemingly minor configuration errors can lead to significant security compromises in critical infrastructure systems.