CVE-2005-3700 in Mac OS X
Summary
by MITRE
Unknown vulnerability in iodbcadmintool in the ODBC Administrator utility in Mac OS X and OS X Server 10.3.9 and 10.4.3 allows local users to execute arbitrary code via unknown attack vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/14/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-3700 represents a critical security flaw within the iodbcadmintool component of the ODBC Administrator utility in Apple's Mac OS X operating system. This issue affects specifically Mac OS X versions 10.3.9 and 10.4.3, as well as OS X Server 10.3.9 and 10.4.3, creating a significant risk for local users who can exploit this weakness to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. The vulnerability falls under the category of local privilege escalation and code execution flaws that can severely compromise system integrity and confidentiality.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization within the iodbcadmintool application, which processes user-supplied data without proper security checks. This flaw allows a local attacker to craft malicious inputs that bypass normal security restrictions, enabling the execution of arbitrary code with the privileges of the target process. The attack vector involves the manipulation of data structures or command-line arguments that the utility processes, potentially through crafted configuration files or database connection parameters. The vulnerability is classified as a local privilege escalation issue, meaning that an attacker must already have a valid user account on the system but can leverage this flaw to gain elevated privileges, often moving from standard user to root access.
The operational impact of CVE-2005-3700 is substantial, as it provides local users with a means to compromise the entire system without requiring network access or external attack vectors. This vulnerability can be exploited by any user with login credentials, making it particularly dangerous in multi-user environments where system administrators may not have adequate controls to prevent local privilege escalation. The ability to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges can lead to complete system compromise, data exfiltration, persistence mechanisms, and further lateral movement within networked environments. The vulnerability directly violates fundamental security principles of least privilege and input validation, creating a pathway for attackers to undermine the security model of the operating system.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate remediation through system updates and patches provided by Apple, as well as implementing additional security controls. Organizations should ensure that all affected systems are updated to patched versions of Mac OS X, as the vulnerability was addressed through proper input validation and privilege management improvements. Network segmentation and access controls should be implemented to limit local user access where possible, while monitoring systems should be deployed to detect unusual code execution patterns. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-78 and CWE-20 categories, representing issues in command injection and input validation failures, respectively, and can be mapped to ATT&CK techniques such as privilege escalation and execution through the use of local tools and utilities. System administrators should also consider implementing additional logging and monitoring around the iodbcadmintool and related ODBC components to detect potential exploitation attempts and maintain audit trails for forensic analysis.