CVE-2005-1617 in webcam
Summary
by MITRE
willings webcam and webcam lite 2.8 and earlier stores the password in memory in plaintext which allows local users to gain sensitive information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/08/2018
The vulnerability described in CVE-2005-1617 affects Willing webcam and webcam lite 2.8 versions and earlier, representing a critical security flaw in how these applications handle authentication credentials. This issue stems from poor secure coding practices where the system stores user passwords in plaintext format within memory structures, creating an exploitable condition that compromises the confidentiality of sensitive authentication data.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the application's memory management approach where password values are not encrypted or obfuscated during runtime operations. When users enter their credentials for webcam authentication, the system retains these values in unencrypted format within the application's memory space, making them accessible to any local process with appropriate privileges. This design flaw directly violates fundamental security principles regarding credential handling and demonstrates a lack of proper input sanitization and secure memory management practices.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for users of affected webcam applications, as local attackers with minimal privileges can potentially extract stored passwords from memory through various techniques including memory dumping utilities or direct process inspection. The impact extends beyond simple credential theft to potential system compromise, as these passwords may be used for additional authentication purposes across network services or other applications. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-312 (Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information) and represents a classic example of insecure data handling that can lead to privilege escalation and lateral movement within compromised environments.
The security implications of this vulnerability are particularly concerning given that it affects webcam applications that may be running with elevated privileges or have access to network resources. Attackers could leverage this weakness to gain unauthorized access to webcam systems, potentially capturing video feeds or accessing network configurations. This flaw demonstrates how seemingly simple applications can create significant security risks when proper secure coding practices are not implemented, as outlined in the ATT&CK framework under credential access techniques. Organizations using these affected versions should immediately implement mitigation strategies including updating to patched versions, restricting local access to affected systems, and implementing memory protection mechanisms to prevent unauthorized memory inspection.
This vulnerability highlights the importance of secure credential handling practices and demonstrates how weak memory management can create persistent security risks. The flaw represents a failure to implement basic security controls such as encrypted memory storage or secure credential handling protocols, which are essential components of modern secure application development practices. Security professionals should consider this vulnerability as part of broader risk assessment activities, particularly in environments where webcam applications are deployed and where local privilege escalation risks are significant.