CVE-2002-0469 in Listar
Summary
by MITRE
Ecartis (formerly Listar) 1.0.0 in snapshot 20020125 and earlier does not properly drop privileges when Ecartis is installed setuid-root, "lock-to-user" is not set, and ecartis is called by certain MTA s, which could allow local users to gain privileges.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/19/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-0469 affects Ecartis version 1.0.0 snapshot 20020125 and earlier, representing a critical privilege escalation flaw in mail list management software. This issue occurs when Ecartis is installed with setuid-root permissions but lacks proper privilege dropping mechanisms under specific operational conditions. The flaw manifests when Ecartis is invoked by certain Mail Transfer Agents, creating a dangerous scenario where local users can exploit the software's improper privilege handling to elevate their system access levels.
The technical root cause stems from Ecartis's failure to properly drop root privileges after initialization when operating under setuid-root conditions. This behavior violates fundamental security principles outlined in the CWE-250 category, which addresses "Execute Code with Unnecessary Privileges" and specifically addresses cases where programs retain excessive privileges beyond their operational requirements. The vulnerability specifically relates to CWE-250 because the software maintains root access unnecessarily, creating an attack surface that malicious users can exploit to gain elevated system privileges. When Ecartis is triggered by certain MTAs without the "lock-to-user" configuration, the privilege dropping mechanism fails, allowing local attackers to leverage this misconfiguration for privilege escalation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it provides attackers with root-level access to the system hosting the vulnerable Ecartis service. This creates potential for complete system compromise, data exfiltration, and persistence mechanisms that can be exploited by threat actors. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates silently without requiring authentication, making it an attractive target for local attackers who may already have access to the system. The attack vector leverages legitimate MTA interactions, making detection more challenging as the behavior appears normal from a network perspective, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1068 which addresses "Local Privilege Escalation" through various system-level exploitation methods.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability include immediate patching to newer versions of Ecartis that properly implement privilege dropping mechanisms, proper configuration of the "lock-to-user" parameter to ensure privilege separation, and removal of unnecessary setuid-root permissions from the Ecartis executable. Organizations should also implement proper access controls and monitoring to detect unauthorized privilege escalation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of privilege separation and proper security context management in multi-tenant and system-level applications, as highlighted by the ATT&CK framework's emphasis on maintaining minimal necessary privileges for program execution. System administrators should also consider implementing additional security controls such as mandatory access controls and privilege monitoring to prevent exploitation of similar issues in other software components.