CVE-2003-0049 in Mac OS X
Summary
by MITRE
Apple File Protocol (AFP) in Mac OS X before 10.2.4 allows administrators to log in as other users by using the administrator password.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/15/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2003-0049 represents a critical authentication flaw within Apple File Protocol implementation in Mac OS X versions prior to 10.2.4. This security weakness specifically targets the administrative privileges mechanism within the AFP service, creating an unauthorized access vector that could be exploited by malicious actors or compromised administrators. The flaw fundamentally undermines the security model of the operating system by allowing privileged users to assume the identities of other users through simple administrative credentials, bypassing normal authentication procedures that should maintain user isolation and privacy.
This vulnerability operates through a design flaw in the AFP protocol handler where administrative login credentials can be leveraged to impersonate any user account within the system. The technical implementation fails to properly validate or enforce user context boundaries during authentication processes, enabling what is essentially a privilege escalation attack. The flaw stems from inadequate session management and user identity verification mechanisms within the AFP service, where the system does not properly distinguish between administrative access and user-specific access contexts. This represents a classic case of insufficient access control enforcement, aligning with CWE-284 which addresses inadequate access control mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it enables persistent surveillance and data manipulation capabilities. An attacker with administrative privileges could potentially access sensitive user data, modify files, or establish backdoors while maintaining the guise of legitimate user accounts. This creates significant challenges for system monitoring and forensic analysis since the malicious activities would appear to originate from normal user accounts rather than administrative processes. The vulnerability particularly affects environments where multiple user accounts exist and where administrative access is required for system maintenance, making it a significant threat to organizational security postures.
Organizations running affected Mac OS X systems should immediately implement the vendor-provided security patches that address this specific authentication flaw. The recommended mitigation strategy involves upgrading to Mac OS X 10.2.4 or later versions where Apple has corrected the AFP authentication implementation. Network administrators should also consider implementing additional monitoring controls to detect unusual authentication patterns or unauthorized access attempts, particularly focusing on AFP service usage. This vulnerability highlights the importance of proper privilege separation and access control validation within network services, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and legitimate credentials for persistence and privilege escalation. Security teams should conduct comprehensive audits of AFP service configurations and user access controls to ensure that administrative privileges are properly isolated from regular user accounts.