CVE-2004-0601 in Distcc
Summary
by MITRE
distcc before 2.16, when running on 64-bit platforms, does not interpret IP-based access control rules correctly, which could allow remote attackers to bypass intended restrictions.
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/30/2021
The distcc distributed compilation system version 2.15 and earlier contains a critical flaw in its IP-based access control implementation that specifically affects 64-bit platforms. This vulnerability stems from improper handling of network address validation mechanisms within the daemon's permission checking logic. The flaw allows remote attackers to circumvent access control restrictions that should limit which hosts can submit compilation jobs to the distributed build system.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the incorrect interpretation of IP address masks and network ranges during access control evaluation. On 64-bit systems, the underlying data type handling and bitwise operations used for IP address comparison produce unexpected results when validating access control rules. This misinterpretation occurs because the software fails to properly account for the difference in memory representation and arithmetic handling between 32-bit and 64-bit architectures. The flaw manifests when the system processes IP address ranges in access control lists, where the comparison logic incorrectly evaluates network masks and subnet boundaries.
This vulnerability creates significant operational risks for organizations relying on distcc for distributed compilation services. Remote attackers can exploit this weakness to submit unauthorized compilation jobs to the distributed build system, potentially leading to resource exhaustion, unauthorized code execution, or access to sensitive build environments. The impact extends beyond simple access bypass as it could enable attackers to inject malicious code into the build process or consume excessive computational resources. Organizations using distcc for large-scale software development projects face heightened risk of supply chain compromise through this vector.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control in software systems, and demonstrates how platform-specific implementation details can create security weaknesses. From an adversarial perspective, this flaw maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for execution through distributed compilation systems and T1499.004 for resource consumption attacks. The flaw represents a classic case of implementation-level security bypass where the intended security controls fail due to architectural assumptions about platform behavior. Organizations should immediately upgrade to distcc version 2.16 or later, which includes corrected IP address handling logic specifically designed to address 64-bit platform compatibility issues. Additional mitigations include implementing network-level firewalls to restrict access to distcc ports, using SSH tunneling for secure connections, and regularly auditing access control configurations to ensure proper enforcement of network restrictions.