CVE-2005-1867 in Brightmail AntiSpam
Summary
by MITRE
Symantec Brightmail AntiSpam before 6.0.2 has a hard-coded database administrator password, which allows remote attackers to gain privileges.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/10/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-1867 affects Symantec Brightmail AntiSpam versions prior to 6.0.2, presenting a critical security flaw that stems from the inclusion of a hard-coded database administrator password within the software configuration. This weakness represents a fundamental design flaw that violates core security principles of least privilege and secure configuration management, creating an inherent backdoor that can be exploited by unauthorized parties without requiring additional authentication credentials or complex attack vectors.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the inclusion of a predetermined, static password within the application's source code or configuration files that is used to establish administrative access to the underlying database system. This hard-coded credential allows remote attackers to bypass normal authentication mechanisms and directly access the database with administrative privileges, effectively providing them with complete control over the email filtering system and potentially exposing sensitive data processed through the spam filtering infrastructure. The flaw directly maps to CWE-798, which categorizes the use of hard-coded credentials as a severe weakness due to its predictable nature and the elevated privileges it grants.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for organizations relying on Symantec Brightmail AntiSpam for email security management. Attackers exploiting this weakness can perform unauthorized database modifications, extract sensitive information from the spam filtering system, manipulate email routing rules, and potentially disrupt email services entirely. The remote nature of the attack means that adversaries do not require physical access to the system or knowledge of other user credentials, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where network exposure is common. The impact extends beyond immediate system compromise to include potential data breaches and service disruption that could affect business continuity.
Organizations should implement immediate remediation measures including upgrading to Symantec Brightmail AntiSpam version 6.0.2 or later, which addresses this vulnerability through proper credential management and eliminates the hard-coded password. Security administrators should also conduct comprehensive audits of their email infrastructure to identify any other instances of hard-coded credentials or similar security flaws. The mitigation strategy aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.004, which addresses legitimate credentials used by adversaries, and emphasizes the importance of credential hygiene and proper access control implementation. Additionally, organizations should establish robust patch management processes to ensure timely deployment of security updates and implement network segmentation to limit potential attack surface exposure. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify and remediate similar configuration weaknesses in other enterprise systems.