CVE-2005-3630 in Fedora Core
Summary
by MITRE
Fedora Directory Server before 10 allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information, such as the password from adm.conf via an IFRAME element, probably involving an Apache httpd.conf configuration that orders "allow" directives before "deny" directives.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/14/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2005-3630 represents a critical information disclosure flaw within the Fedora Directory Server version 10 and earlier. This vulnerability stems from improper access control configuration in the Apache httpd.conf file, specifically when "allow" directives are positioned before "deny" directives in the configuration hierarchy. The flaw enables remote attackers to extract sensitive information from the adm.conf file through the manipulation of IFRAME elements, which represents a significant security weakness in the server's access control mechanisms.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits the order-dependent nature of Apache's access control directives, where the sequence of allow and deny rules can create unexpected access patterns. When "allow" directives are processed before "deny" directives, certain paths may inadvertently remain accessible even when they should be restricted. The adm.conf file contains administrative configuration data including password information that should remain protected from unauthorized access. Attackers can leverage IFRAME elements to craft requests that bypass the intended access controls, effectively allowing them to retrieve sensitive administrative credentials and configuration details.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses severe risks to organizations relying on Fedora Directory Server for identity management and authentication services. The exposure of password information from adm.conf could enable attackers to escalate privileges, gain full administrative access to the directory server, and potentially compromise the entire directory service infrastructure. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers do not require physical access or local system privileges to exploit the flaw, making it particularly dangerous in networked environments where directory services are commonly accessed across organizational boundaries.
The underlying cause of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control issues in software systems. This weakness specifically manifests in the configuration management aspect of the server, where the Apache configuration file fails to properly enforce access restrictions. The vulnerability also relates to ATT&CK technique T1566, which covers the exploitation of remote services, and T1078, which addresses valid accounts and legitimate credentials acquisition. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including proper ordering of Apache access control directives, ensuring that deny rules are processed before allow rules, and restricting access to sensitive configuration files through additional security measures such as file permissions and access logging. The remediation process should involve updating to Fedora Directory Server version 10 or later, which addresses this specific access control flaw, while also implementing comprehensive access control policies and regular security audits to prevent similar configuration errors in other system components.