CVE-2003-0670 in IPNetSentryX
Summary
by MITRE
Sustworks IPNetSentryX and IPNetMonitorX allow local users to sniff network packets via the setuid helper applications (1) RunTCPDump, which calls tcpdump, and (2) RunTCPFlow, which calls tcpflow.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/04/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2003-0670 affects Sustworks IPNetSentryX and IPNetMonitorX network monitoring applications, representing a significant security flaw in the privilege escalation and packet sniffing mechanisms of these tools. These applications are designed for network monitoring and intrusion detection, but their implementation contains a critical design flaw that allows local users to bypass intended security boundaries. The vulnerability specifically resides in the setuid helper applications that are intended to provide elevated privileges for network packet capture operations while maintaining security isolation from regular user processes.
The technical flaw manifests through two primary setuid helper applications named RunTCPDump and RunTCPFlow which are responsible for executing tcpdump and tcpflow commands respectively. Both helper applications are configured with setuid permissions, which means they run with elevated privileges belonging to the root user rather than the invoking user context. This design decision, while seemingly necessary for network monitoring functionality, creates a dangerous attack surface when combined with the way these applications handle command execution. The vulnerability occurs because these helper applications directly invoke tcpdump and tcpflow without proper input sanitization or privilege separation mechanisms, allowing local users to manipulate the execution environment and potentially capture network traffic that should remain restricted.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial as it enables local users to perform unauthorized network packet sniffing operations that could expose sensitive network communications. Attackers with local access to systems running these applications can leverage the setuid helper programs to capture network traffic that might contain confidential information such as passwords, session tokens, or other sensitive data transmitted over the network. This capability directly violates the principle of least privilege and undermines the security model that these network monitoring tools are designed to enforce. The vulnerability essentially provides a backdoor mechanism for local users to escalate their privileges and access network traffic that would normally be restricted to authorized network monitoring processes.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-276, which addresses improper privileges, and represents a classic example of insecure privilege management in network monitoring tools. The flaw also relates to ATT&CK technique T1046, which involves network service scanning, as the ability to capture network packets provides attackers with information about network services and potential attack vectors. Additionally, the vulnerability demonstrates characteristics of privilege escalation through setuid binaries, which falls under ATT&CK technique T1548.001 related to abuse of sudo or setuid binaries. The security implications extend beyond simple packet sniffing to include potential data exfiltration and network reconnaissance activities that could compromise the confidentiality and integrity of network communications.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate remediation through patching the affected applications to remove or properly secure the setuid helper applications. Organizations should ensure that the setuid permissions are removed from the helper applications and that proper privilege separation mechanisms are implemented. Alternative approaches include implementing proper input validation and sanitization for all command-line arguments passed to tcpdump and tcpflow, or redesigning the helper applications to operate without elevated privileges. System administrators should also implement monitoring for unauthorized use of setuid binaries and conduct regular security audits to identify similar privilege escalation vulnerabilities in other network monitoring tools. The fundamental requirement is to eliminate the unnecessary elevation of privileges for network monitoring operations while maintaining the functionality needed for legitimate security monitoring purposes.