CVE-2002-0344 in LiveUpdate
Summary
by MITRE
Symantec LiveUpdate 1.5 and earlier in Norton Antivirus stores usernames and passwords for a local LiveUpdate server in cleartext in the registry, which may allow remote attackers to impersonate the LiveUpdate server.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/23/2024
This vulnerability resides in Symantec LiveUpdate 1.5 and earlier versions of Norton Antivirus which improperly handles authentication credentials for local LiveUpdate servers. The flaw manifests when the software stores usernames and passwords in cleartext format within the Windows registry, creating a persistent exposure that persists across system reboots and user sessions. This configuration directly violates fundamental security principles of credential storage and demonstrates poor implementation of secure authentication practices. The registry entries containing these sensitive credentials are accessible to any process running with sufficient privileges, effectively exposing the authentication tokens to potential attackers who can exploit this weakness to gain unauthorized access to the LiveUpdate server infrastructure.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through remote attackers who can access the Windows registry to extract the cleartext credentials. This represents a critical failure in the principle of least privilege and secure credential handling, as the software does not implement proper encryption or obfuscation mechanisms for storing authentication information. The vulnerability enables attackers to impersonate legitimate LiveUpdate servers, potentially allowing them to distribute malicious updates or intercept legitimate update communications. This type of flaw aligns with CWE-312 (Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information) and CWE-522 (Insufficiently Protected Credentials), both of which are classified under the broader category of credential management failures. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it requires no special privileges to extract the credentials, as they are stored in plain text format within easily accessible system locations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft, as it enables sophisticated attack scenarios including man-in-the-middle attacks against the LiveUpdate infrastructure. Attackers who successfully extract these credentials can masquerade as legitimate update servers, potentially distributing malware through the trusted update mechanism. This compromises the integrity of the entire antivirus ecosystem and undermines the security posture of organizations relying on these systems. The vulnerability also creates persistent exposure windows since the cleartext credentials remain accessible until manually removed or the system is reinstalled. Organizations using affected versions of Norton Antivirus face significant risk of supply chain attacks and credential compromise that could affect multiple systems simultaneously. This vulnerability directly maps to attack techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under T1566 (Phishing for Information) and T1078 (Valid Accounts) where attackers leverage stolen credentials to maintain persistence and escalate privileges within the network environment.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of affected systems to versions that properly encrypt or obfuscate stored credentials. Organizations should conduct comprehensive inventory assessments to identify all affected systems and implement registry access controls to limit who can read the credential storage locations. Security administrators should consider implementing additional monitoring and alerting mechanisms to detect unauthorized access attempts to registry locations containing sensitive information. The recommended remediation includes applying Symantec's official patches and updates, which should implement proper encryption of stored credentials and eliminate the cleartext storage vulnerability. Additionally, organizations should review and implement proper credential rotation procedures and consider implementing network segmentation to limit the impact of credential compromise. Regular security audits should verify that no cleartext credentials remain stored in system configurations, and privileged access controls should be strictly enforced to minimize the attack surface for credential extraction attempts.