CVE-2004-0165 in Mac OS X
Summary
by MITRE
Format string vulnerability in Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) daemon (pppd) 2.4.0 for Mac OS X 10.3.2 and earlier allows remote attackers to read arbitrary pppd process data, including PAP or CHAP authentication credentials, to gain privileges.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/15/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-0165 represents a critical format string flaw within the Point-to-Point Protocol daemon (pppd) version 2.4.0, specifically affecting Mac OS X 10.3.2 and earlier versions. This issue arises from improper handling of format strings in the pppd application, which processes network authentication protocols for dial-up connections and other point-to-point networking scenarios. The vulnerability exists in the daemon's processing of user-supplied input during authentication negotiations, creating an exploitable condition that can be leveraged by remote attackers to manipulate memory access patterns.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when pppd processes authentication messages containing malformed format specifiers that are subsequently passed to functions like printf or sprintf without proper validation. This flaw enables attackers to craft malicious authentication packets that trigger format string vulnerabilities, allowing them to read arbitrary memory locations from the pppd process address space. The implications are severe as the daemon typically maintains sensitive authentication credentials including PAP (Password Authentication Protocol) and CHAP (Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol) passwords in memory during the authentication process, making these credentials directly accessible to attackers who successfully exploit the vulnerability.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to network security infrastructure relying on PPP authentication mechanisms, particularly in environments where Mac OS X systems serve as network access servers or routers. The ability to extract authentication credentials from memory effectively compromises the entire authentication framework, potentially allowing attackers to gain unauthorized access to network resources, escalate privileges, and establish persistent access points within the network. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the daemon level, meaning that successful exploitation can provide attackers with direct access to the underlying authentication mechanisms without requiring additional privilege escalation techniques.
The attack vector for this vulnerability is primarily remote, as attackers can send specially crafted authentication requests to the pppd daemon over network connections. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for Initial Access through spearphishing attachments and T1078.002 for Valid Accounts through legitimate credentials. The vulnerability also maps to CWE-134, which describes the weakness of using format strings from untrusted sources, and CWE-253, which covers the weakness of using insecure authentication mechanisms. Security professionals should note that this vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input validation in network daemon applications and the potential for memory disclosure attacks to compromise authentication systems. Organizations should implement immediate patching measures to upgrade pppd to versions that properly validate format string parameters, while also considering network segmentation and monitoring for unusual authentication traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts.
The remediation approach involves applying the appropriate security patches provided by Apple for Mac OS X 10.3.3 and later versions, which address the format string vulnerability by implementing proper input validation and parameter sanitization. Additionally, system administrators should consider implementing network monitoring solutions to detect anomalous authentication patterns and establish network access controls that limit exposure of PPP services to trusted networks only. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical security implications of improper input handling in system-level network services and the necessity of comprehensive security testing for authentication mechanisms in operating systems and network protocols.