CVE-2005-2188 in IntruShield Security Management System
Summary
by MITRE
McAfee IntruShield Security Management System obtains the user ID from the URL, which allows remote attackers to guess the Manager account and possibly gain privileges via a brute force attack.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/24/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-2188 affects the McAfee IntruShield Security Management System, a network security solution designed to provide intrusion detection and prevention capabilities. This flaw represents a critical weakness in the system's authentication mechanism that directly impacts the security posture of organizations relying on this platform. The vulnerability stems from the system's improper handling of user identification during the authentication process, where user credentials are exposed through the uniform resource locator rather than being securely transmitted through proper authentication channels.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the system's reliance on URL-based user identification, which creates a predictable and easily accessible attack vector. When users attempt to access the management interface, their user ID becomes visible within the URL parameters, making it trivial for remote attackers to enumerate valid account names through automated tools. This design flaw directly violates fundamental security principles of credential obfuscation and secure authentication protocols. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and specifically affects the web-based management interface, where session management and authentication tokens are not properly implemented to prevent enumeration attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential guessing, as it enables attackers to conduct systematic brute force attacks against the manager account. Once an attacker successfully identifies the valid manager account through URL-based enumeration, they can then attempt to exploit weak passwords or employ automated tools to guess the corresponding password. This creates a significant risk for organizations as the attacker gains administrative privileges to the entire security management system, potentially allowing them to modify security policies, disable protective measures, or gain complete control over the network monitoring infrastructure. The vulnerability essentially provides a direct pathway to the crown jewels of network security management, making it particularly attractive to sophisticated attackers.
The security implications of this vulnerability align with CWE-642, which addresses weaknesses in the design of authentication mechanisms that expose sensitive information. From an attacker perspective, this vulnerability maps directly to techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the credential access and privilege escalation domains. Organizations using this system face a heightened risk of compromise, particularly in environments where network security is critical and traditional perimeter defenses may be insufficient. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal technical expertise, making it accessible to attackers of varying skill levels and increasing the overall threat landscape for affected organizations.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate implementation of proper URL parameter handling and secure authentication mechanisms. Organizations should ensure that user identification information is not exposed in URLs and that authentication occurs through secure channels with proper session management. The system should implement account lockout mechanisms and strong password policies to prevent successful brute force attacks. Additionally, network segmentation and access controls should be implemented to limit exposure of the management interface to trusted networks only. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in other components of the security infrastructure, as this vulnerability represents a broader pattern of insecure authentication design that may exist elsewhere in the organization's technology stack.