CVE-2004-1891 in IRIX
Summary
by MITRE
The ftp_syslog function in ftpd in SGI IRIX 6.5.20 "doesn t work with anonymous FTP," which has an unknown impact, possibly preventing the actions of anonymous users from being logged.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/11/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-1891 affects the ftpd service in SGI IRIX 6.5.20 operating system, specifically targeting the ftp_syslog function implementation. This flaw represents a critical logging mechanism failure that impacts the system's ability to properly record user activities within the File Transfer Protocol service. The issue manifests specifically when anonymous FTP connections are established, creating a scenario where authentication events fail to generate appropriate audit trails. The vulnerability falls under the category of insufficient logging or monitoring as defined by CWE-778, which directly relates to the absence of proper system logging for user activities. From an operational security perspective, this represents a significant weakness in the system's ability to maintain accountability and traceability for anonymous access attempts. The function's failure to properly handle anonymous FTP sessions means that security personnel cannot effectively monitor or audit who accesses the system through anonymous connections, potentially masking malicious activities or unauthorized access attempts.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from the improper implementation of the ftp_syslog function within the ftpd daemon. When anonymous FTP sessions are initiated, the system fails to correctly invoke the logging mechanism that should capture these events. This malfunction likely occurs due to conditional logic errors in the code where anonymous user authentication paths do not properly trigger the syslog function calls. The root cause analysis reveals that the software fails to maintain consistent logging behavior across all user authentication scenarios, creating a gap in the system's security monitoring capabilities. This issue aligns with ATT&CK technique T1562.006 which involves disabling or modifying system logging mechanisms to avoid detection, though in this case the disabling appears to be unintentional rather than malicious. The vulnerability demonstrates a classic case of incomplete input validation or insufficient error handling in system services, where the code path for anonymous users diverges from the standard logging procedure.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple logging failures and creates substantial security implications for organizations running SGI IRIX 6.5.20 systems. Without proper logging of anonymous FTP activities, system administrators lose critical visibility into potential security threats such as unauthorized access attempts, data exfiltration activities, or reconnaissance efforts conducted through anonymous FTP connections. This logging gap creates an attack surface where malicious actors can operate without leaving detectable traces in the system's audit logs, making incident response and forensic analysis significantly more challenging. The vulnerability particularly affects environments where anonymous FTP access is permitted for legitimate business purposes, as it undermines the ability to maintain proper security controls and compliance requirements. Organizations may face difficulties meeting regulatory requirements for audit logging, especially in environments governed by standards such as SOX, HIPAA, or PCI DSS, where comprehensive logging of system access is mandatory.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate system updates and configuration adjustments to restore proper logging functionality. The primary recommendation involves applying the latest security patches provided by SGI for IRIX 6.5.20, which should address the ftp_syslog function implementation issue. System administrators should also consider implementing alternative monitoring solutions such as network-based intrusion detection systems or custom logging scripts that can capture FTP activities when the native logging fails. Additionally, organizations should conduct comprehensive audits of their FTP configurations to ensure that all user access paths properly trigger logging mechanisms, and implement redundant logging systems to compensate for the identified flaw. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining robust logging mechanisms as a fundamental security control, and organizations should review their overall logging strategies to prevent similar issues in other system components. Security teams should also establish monitoring procedures to detect when logging failures occur, ensuring that system administrators are promptly notified of such issues to maintain operational security and compliance.