CVE-2005-2504 in Mac OS X
Summary
by MITRE
the system profiler in mac os x 10.4.2 labels a bluetooth device with "requires authentication: no" even when the user has selected the "require pairing for security" option which could confuse users about which setting is valid.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/05/2021
The vulnerability described in CVE-2005-2504 represents a significant user interface inconsistency in macOS X 10.4.2's system profiler functionality. This issue affects the Bluetooth device labeling mechanism where the system profiler incorrectly displays "requires authentication: no" for Bluetooth devices even when users have explicitly configured the system to require pairing authentication. The fundamental flaw lies in the disconnect between the actual security configuration settings and the information presented to users through the graphical interface. This misrepresentation creates a misleading user experience that could potentially lead to security misunderstandings and improper security decisions by end users.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability demonstrates a clear breakdown in the user interface layer's synchronization with the underlying security configuration subsystem. The system profiler component fails to accurately reflect the current Bluetooth security policy settings, creating a discrepancy between the user's intended security configuration and the displayed information. This type of issue falls under the broader category of information disclosure vulnerabilities where incorrect status indicators can mislead users about the actual security posture of their system. The vulnerability specifically impacts the integrity of user interface information and represents a failure in the system's validation and display mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple user confusion to potentially compromise security awareness and decision-making processes. When users see conflicting information about Bluetooth security requirements, they may make incorrect assumptions about their device's security status, potentially leading to inappropriate security behaviors. This vulnerability undermines user trust in the system's security reporting mechanisms and could result in users inadvertently disabling security features or making incorrect security judgments based on the misleading information displayed. The issue particularly affects users who rely on the system profiler for security assessment and configuration verification purposes.
Security professionals should recognize this as a user experience design flaw that could contribute to broader security misconfigurations. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining consistency between system configuration settings and their user interface representations, particularly in security-critical contexts. Organizations should implement procedures to verify that system security indicators accurately reflect actual configuration states, as this type of inconsistency can lead to user confusion and potential security gaps. This vulnerability also demonstrates the need for comprehensive testing of user interface components to ensure they properly represent system security configurations. The issue aligns with common weakness enumerations related to user interface security and information integrity, and could potentially be exploited through social engineering if users make incorrect security decisions based on the misleading information. Mitigation efforts should focus on ensuring proper synchronization between configuration settings and user interface displays, as well as implementing validation checks to verify that security status indicators accurately reflect actual system states.