CVE-2002-2326 in Mac OS X
Summary
by MITRE
The default configuration of Mail.app in Mac OS X 10.0 through 10.0.4 and 10.1 through 10.1.5 sends iDisk authentication credentials in cleartext when connecting to Mac.com, which could allow remote attackers to obtain passwords by sniffing network traffic.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/13/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2002-2326 represents a critical security flaw in the default Mail.app configuration of early mac os x versions ranging from 10.0 through 10.0.4 and 10.1 through 10.1.5. This issue specifically affects users connecting to mac.com services through the iDisk functionality, creating a significant exposure in the communication protocol stack. The flaw stems from the application's failure to implement proper encryption for authentication credentials, leaving sensitive information vulnerable to interception during network transmission.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs at the application layer where Mail.app handles authentication requests for iDisk services. When users attempt to connect to their mac.com accounts, the application transmits username and password credentials in plain text format without any form of transport layer encryption. This cleartext transmission violates fundamental security principles for credential handling and creates an attack surface that remote adversaries can exploit through simple network packet sniffing techniques. The vulnerability specifically affects the authentication handshake process between the client application and the mac.com servers, where credentials are sent without encryption mechanisms such as tls or ssl.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft, as it represents a fundamental failure in secure communications implementation within the operating system's mail client. Attackers capable of performing network sniffing operations on the same local network segment or through man-in-the-middle attacks can easily capture these cleartext credentials and subsequently gain unauthorized access to user accounts. This exposure creates a persistent threat vector that remains active as long as users maintain the vulnerable Mail.app configuration, potentially enabling account takeover, data exfiltration, and further network compromise activities. The vulnerability directly aligns with attack patterns documented in the attack tree framework where network reconnaissance and credential harvesting are primary initial access methods.
Security practitioners should recognize this vulnerability as a clear example of inadequate cryptographic implementation and weak security by default configurations. The flaw demonstrates how applications failing to enforce secure communication protocols can create persistent security risks for users. Organizations and individuals should immediately implement mitigations including updating to patched versions of mac os x, configuring Mail.app to use encrypted connections, and implementing network segmentation to limit exposure. This vulnerability also highlights the importance of following security standards such as those defined in the cwe taxonomy under cwe-312, which addresses the exposure of sensitive information through cleartext transmission. Additionally, the issue relates to attack techniques categorized under the attack pattern taxonomy where credential stuffing and network sniffing are primary exploitation methods. The remediation process should involve not only software updates but also user education regarding secure communication practices and the dangers of using applications with insecure default configurations.