CVE-2005-3270 in norton antivirus
Summary
by MITRE
untrusted search path vulnerability in diskmountnotify for symantec norton antivirus 9.0.3 allows local users to gain privileges by modifying the path to reference a malicious (1) ps or (2) grep file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/29/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-3270 represents a critical untrusted search path weakness in Symantec Norton Antivirus version 9.0.3's diskmountnotify component. This flaw resides within the privilege escalation mechanism that governs how the system resolves executable paths during disk mounting operations. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and path resolution procedures that fail to properly sanitize or verify the legitimacy of executable references within the system's search path. The affected component diskmountnotify operates with elevated privileges to monitor and manage disk mounting events, making it a prime target for local privilege escalation attacks. When the system processes disk mounting notifications, it relies on a predetermined search path that includes directories where malicious actors can place crafted executables, thereby compromising the integrity of the system's privilege management.
This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-426, which defines untrusted search path conditions as a weakness where applications fail to properly validate or sanitize the paths used to resolve executable files. The specific attack vector involves local users manipulating the system's search path to reference malicious versions of standard utilities such as ps or grep. These utilities are commonly used by system processes and are often located in standard system directories. When the diskmountnotify component executes these utilities during disk mounting operations, it inadvertently executes the malicious versions placed by an attacker in the search path. The attack leverages the principle of least privilege violation, where a local user can exploit the elevated permissions of the diskmountnotify process to execute arbitrary code with higher privileges than initially granted.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it provides attackers with a persistent foothold within the system. The exploitation process typically begins with a local user placing malicious ps or grep binaries in directories that appear earlier in the system's PATH environment variable. When the diskmountnotify component executes these utilities, it runs the attacker-controlled code with elevated privileges, potentially allowing for complete system compromise. This vulnerability affects systems running Symantec Norton Antivirus 9.0.3 and earlier versions, making it particularly concerning for enterprise environments where antivirus solutions are widely deployed. The attack pattern aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which describes local privilege escalation through the exploitation of system-level processes with elevated permissions. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal privileges initially, as the attacker only needs local access to modify files in the system path, but can result in full system compromise.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2005-3270 must address both the immediate vulnerability and prevent similar issues in the future. The most effective immediate solution involves applying the vendor-provided security patch that corrects the untrusted search path implementation in the diskmountnotify component. Organizations should also implement strict path validation procedures that ensure executables are resolved from trusted directories only, preventing the execution of binaries from untrusted locations. System administrators should regularly audit and monitor system paths for unauthorized modifications, particularly in directories that are part of the default search path. Additional protective measures include implementing file integrity monitoring solutions that can detect unauthorized changes to critical system utilities, enforcing mandatory access controls that restrict file modifications, and conducting regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities in other system components. The vulnerability underscores the importance of secure coding practices and proper input validation, particularly in components that operate with elevated privileges and handle system-level operations. Organizations should also consider implementing privilege separation techniques that limit the scope of elevated operations and reduce the attack surface for such vulnerabilities.