CVE-2005-1724 in Mac OS X Server
Summary
by MITRE
NFS on Apple Mac OS X 10.4.x up to 10.4.1 does not properly obey the -network or -mask flags for a filesystem and exports it to everyone, which allows remote attackers to bypass intended access restrictions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/15/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2005-1724 represents a critical access control flaw in the Network File System implementation of Apple Mac OS X 10.4.x versions, specifically affecting releases up to 10.4.1. This issue fundamentally undermines the security model of network file sharing by creating a misconfiguration that allows unauthorized access to exported filesystems. The problem manifests when administrators attempt to restrict NFS exports using standard -network or -mask parameters that should limit access to specific network segments or hosts, yet the system fails to properly enforce these restrictions.
The technical flaw resides in the NFS daemon's handling of network access controls during filesystem export operations. When administrators configure NFS exports with specific network restrictions using the -network or -mask flags, the Mac OS X system does not properly process these parameters, resulting in the exported filesystem being accessible to all network clients regardless of the intended access controls. This represents a fundamental failure in the implementation of network-based access control mechanisms, where the system's security policy enforcement is bypassed entirely. The vulnerability specifically affects the nfsd daemon's configuration parsing and access enforcement logic, creating a scenario where administrative security decisions are completely ignored.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and far-reaching for organizations utilizing Mac OS X servers in networked environments. Remote attackers can exploit this flaw to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data that should be restricted to specific network segments or hosts. This creates opportunities for data exfiltration, system compromise, and unauthorized modification of files that would normally be protected by network access controls. The vulnerability essentially transforms a controlled network share into an open access point, potentially exposing critical system files, user data, and organizational resources to malicious actors without requiring any authentication or authorization. This flaw particularly affects environments where Mac OS X servers are used for file sharing, as it undermines the fundamental security assumptions of network-based access control.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations to address this vulnerability by either upgrading to Mac OS X 10.4.2 or later versions where the issue has been resolved, or by implementing alternative access control mechanisms such as firewall rules to restrict NFS traffic at the network level. The fix for this vulnerability typically involves proper implementation of the network access control parameters within the NFS daemon, ensuring that -network and -mask flags are properly enforced. Additionally, administrators should conduct comprehensive audits of their NFS export configurations to identify any systems that may have been affected by this vulnerability. This issue aligns with CWE-284 Access Control Bypass and represents a significant concern under the ATT&CK framework's privilege escalation and credential access tactics, as it allows unauthorized access to resources that should be restricted to authorized users only. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper access control implementation in network services and highlights the potential for configuration flaws to create severe security weaknesses in operating system implementations.