CVE-2003-0046 in AbsoluteTelnet
Summary
by MITRE
AbsoluteTelnet SSH2 client does not clear logon credentials from memory, including plaintext passwords, which could allow attackers with access to memory to steal the SSH credentials.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/26/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2003-0046 affects the AbsoluteTelnet SSH2 client software, presenting a critical security flaw in how authentication credentials are handled during secure remote connections. This issue stems from improper memory management practices within the client application, specifically failing to adequately clear sensitive authentication data from system memory after use. The vulnerability represents a classic example of insecure credential handling that directly violates fundamental security principles for protecting authentication information.
The technical flaw manifests when the AbsoluteTelnet SSH2 client processes user authentication requests, storing plaintext passwords and other sensitive credentials in memory without subsequent clearing operations. This memory persistence creates an exploitable condition where attackers with sufficient access to the system's memory space can potentially extract these credentials through various memory dumping techniques or direct memory access methods. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects the core authentication mechanism of SSH connections, which are designed to provide secure remote access to systems. This flaw directly maps to CWE-312, which describes the weakness of storing sensitive data in memory without proper clearing operations, and aligns with CWE-522 which addresses insufficiently protected credentials.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft, as compromised SSH credentials can provide attackers with unauthorized access to protected systems and networks. An attacker who gains memory access through techniques such as process dumping, memory inspection tools, or system-level exploits can retrieve stored passwords and use them to establish unauthorized SSH sessions. This creates a persistent threat vector where even if the initial attack vector is closed, the stolen credentials remain viable for future exploitation. The vulnerability particularly affects environments where multiple users connect to the same system through the AbsoluteTelnet client, as credentials for all users could potentially be compromised from a single memory access point. This weakness directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1003.002 which covers credential dumping and T1078.004 which addresses valid accounts with compromised credentials.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2003-0046 should focus on immediate remediation through software updates from the vendor, as the vulnerability represents a known flaw in the application's memory handling processes. System administrators should implement additional security controls including memory protection mechanisms, process isolation, and monitoring for unauthorized memory access attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing credential rotation policies and multi-factor authentication to reduce the impact of credential compromise. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper secure coding practices and memory management in security-critical applications, emphasizing the need for regular security assessments and code reviews to identify similar issues in other software components. Additional defensive measures include restricting physical and logical access to systems running vulnerable software and implementing network-based monitoring to detect unusual memory access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts.