CVE-2004-0080 in util-linux
Summary
by MITRE
The login program in util-linux 2.11 and earlier uses a pointer after it has been freed and reallocated, which could cause login to leak sensitive data.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/15/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2004-0080 represents a critical memory management flaw within the login program of util-linux versions 2.11 and earlier. This issue stems from improper handling of memory pointers during the program's execution lifecycle, specifically when dealing with dynamically allocated memory regions that are subsequently freed and reallocated. The flaw occurs in the context of authentication processes where the login program manages sensitive data such as user credentials and session information, making it particularly dangerous for security-sensitive environments. The root cause can be classified under CWE-416, which addresses use of freed pointers, and falls within the broader category of memory corruption vulnerabilities that have historically been exploited for privilege escalation and information disclosure attacks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the login program maintaining a pointer to a memory block that gets freed during normal program execution but is then reallocated for different purposes. When the program attempts to access this pointer after it has been freed and potentially overwritten, it may inadvertently read data from memory locations that were previously used for storing sensitive information. This memory re-use pattern creates an information leakage scenario where remnants of passwords, authentication tokens, or other confidential data may be accessible through the freed pointer reference. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the system level within the authentication framework, potentially allowing attackers to extract sensitive information without requiring elevated privileges or complex exploitation techniques.
The operational impact of CVE-2004-0080 extends beyond simple information disclosure to potentially enable more sophisticated attacks within the system's authentication infrastructure. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to harvest credentials from memory dumps, potentially gaining access to user accounts and system resources. The flaw affects systems where util-linux is installed, which includes virtually all unix-like operating systems, making it a widespread concern across enterprise and server environments. From an attack perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1003.001, which covers credential dumping, and represents a classic example of how memory management errors can be exploited to compromise system security. The vulnerability essentially provides a pathway for unauthorized data extraction that could lead to account takeover, privilege escalation, and broader system compromise.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of util-linux installations to versions that address the memory management flaw. System administrators should prioritize updating all affected systems and verify that the updated versions properly handle memory deallocation and pointer management. Additionally, implementing memory protection mechanisms such as stack canaries, address space layout randomization, and heap-based memory protection can provide additional defense-in-depth layers. Organizations should also conduct thorough security assessments to identify any other applications or system components that might be susceptible to similar memory management vulnerabilities, as this class of flaw often indicates broader software quality issues. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of proper memory management practices in security-sensitive applications and the necessity of thorough code review processes to prevent such issues from reaching production environments.