CVE-2002-1875 in Entercept Agent
Summary
by MITRE
Entercept Agent 2.5 agent for Windows, released before May 21, 2002, allows local administrative users to obtain the entercept agent password, which could allow the administrators to log on as the entercept_agent account and conceal their identity.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/05/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2002-1875 represents a critical security flaw in the Entercept Agent 2.5 software for Windows systems that was present in versions released prior to May 21, 2002. This vulnerability specifically targets the authentication mechanism of the Entercept agent service, which was designed to provide network monitoring and security capabilities within enterprise environments. The flaw allows local administrative users to extract the password associated with the entercept_agent account, a privilege that could be leveraged to assume the identity of this service account and potentially evade detection mechanisms.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate access controls and privilege management within the Entercept Agent implementation. The entercept_agent account operates with elevated privileges necessary for network monitoring functions, yet the software failed to properly protect the password associated with this account from unauthorized access. This weakness falls under the category of privilege escalation and credential exposure, which are fundamental concerns in cybersecurity. The vulnerability enables a local administrative user to bypass normal authentication procedures and directly access the password through various means that were not properly secured by the software's access control mechanisms. This type of flaw is particularly dangerous because it operates at the local administrative level, where users already possess significant system privileges but can exploit additional weaknesses to gain deeper access.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial for organizations using Entercept Agent 2.5 in their network security infrastructure. When local administrative users can obtain the entercept_agent password, they essentially gain the ability to impersonate the monitoring service account that is specifically designed to operate with elevated privileges for security monitoring purposes. This creates a significant risk of insider threats, as administrators could use this access to hide their activities while performing unauthorized actions on the network. The vulnerability directly conflicts with the principle of least privilege, as it allows users to escalate their privileges beyond what is normally required for administrative tasks. From a defensive perspective, this flaw undermines the integrity of the monitoring system, potentially allowing malicious actors or compromised administrators to remain undetected while conducting surveillance or other activities using the legitimate monitoring account credentials.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate remediation measures including updating to the patched version of Entercept Agent 2.5 released after May 21, 2002, which would have addressed the credential exposure issue. System administrators should also conduct thorough audits of access controls and privilege assignments to ensure that local administrative accounts do not have unnecessary access to service account credentials. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper credential management and access control implementation, aligning with security best practices outlined in standards such as those referenced in the CWE database under categories related to credential exposure and privilege escalation. Additionally, this vulnerability relates to tactics and techniques documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework, particularly those involving privilege escalation and credential access, where attackers can exploit poorly protected credentials to maintain persistent access to systems and networks. Organizations should also consider implementing additional monitoring and logging controls to detect unauthorized access attempts to service accounts and maintain audit trails that can identify when such credential exposure occurs.