CVE-2005-3169 in Windows
Summary
by MITRE
Microsoft Windows 2000 before Update Rollup 1 for SP4, when the "audit directory service access" policy is enabled, does not record a 565 event message for File Delete Child operations on an Active Directory object in the security event log, which could allow attackers to conduct unauthorized activities without detection.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/14/2019
This vulnerability exists in Microsoft Windows 2000 systems prior to Update Rollup 1 for Service Pack 4 when the "audit directory service access" policy is enabled. The flaw represents a significant gap in the security logging mechanism that affects Active Directory object access auditing. The specific issue occurs when File Delete Child operations are performed on Active Directory objects, where the system fails to generate the expected security event log entry with event ID 565. This omission creates a blind spot in the audit trail that can be exploited by malicious actors to perform unauthorized operations without leaving detectable traces in the system's security logs.
The technical implementation flaw stems from the incomplete event logging mechanism within the Windows 2000 security auditing framework. When directory service access auditing is enabled, the system should consistently log all relevant operations including child object deletions to maintain comprehensive audit trails. However, the vulnerability manifests as a missing event generation for File Delete Child operations, which are part of the Active Directory directory service access control mechanisms. This represents a weakness in the event logging subsystem that operates under the Windows Security Center framework and aligns with CWE-778, which addresses insufficient logging of security-relevant events.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial as it allows attackers to conduct unauthorized activities against Active Directory objects while remaining undetected by standard security monitoring systems. An attacker could delete child objects within Active Directory structures without triggering the expected audit events, making it difficult for security administrators to detect malicious activity. This vulnerability particularly affects environments where Active Directory security auditing is enabled as a primary security control, creating a false sense of security while actual unauthorized operations proceed unnoticed. The lack of proper logging means that security incident response teams would be unable to correlate suspicious activities with the deletion of directory objects, potentially allowing prolonged unauthorized access to sensitive directory resources.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately apply Update Rollup 1 for Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 to resolve the event logging deficiency. The mitigation strategy should also include comprehensive review of existing security monitoring procedures to identify potential gaps in audit trail analysis. Security administrators should implement additional monitoring controls beyond the standard Windows event logging, including custom scripts or third-party solutions that can detect anomalous directory service operations. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of complete audit logging as outlined in the NIST Special Publication 800-92 guidelines for security audit logging and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1070.001 for Indicator Removal on Host. Organizations should also consider implementing centralized security information and event management systems that can correlate multiple data sources to detect potential exploitation of such logging gaps. The vulnerability underscores the necessity of maintaining comprehensive audit coverage for all directory service operations as specified in the ISO/IEC 27001 security controls for information security management.