CVE-2005-4659 in IPCop
Summary
by MITRE
IPCop (aka IPCop Firewall) before 1.4.10 has world-readable permissions for the backup.key file, which might allow local users to overwrite system configuration files and gain privileges by creating a malicious encrypted backup archive owned by "nobody", then executing ipcoprscfg to restore from this backup.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/25/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-4659 affects IPCop Firewall versions prior to 1.4.10 and represents a critical privilege escalation flaw stemming from improper file permissions. This issue resides within the backup.key file which contains cryptographic keys necessary for encrypted backup operations. The file exhibits world-readable permissions, meaning any local user can access its contents without authentication. This misconfiguration creates a significant attack surface that adversaries can exploit to compromise system integrity and gain elevated privileges.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability follows a specific sequence that leverages the system's backup restoration mechanism. Attackers can create a malicious encrypted backup archive with the backup.key file owned by the "nobody" user account, which typically has minimal privileges within the system. When the ipcoprscfg utility executes to restore from this compromised backup, it processes the malicious archive and inadvertently overwrites critical system configuration files. This process enables the attacker to modify system components that should normally require administrative privileges to alter, effectively bypassing normal access controls and privilege boundaries.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation to encompass complete system compromise. By manipulating system configuration files through the backup restoration process, attackers can modify network settings, authentication parameters, firewall rules, and other critical system components. This capability allows for persistent access, data exfiltration, network reconnaissance, and potential lateral movement within the compromised environment. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the system level and can be exploited by any local user, making it difficult to detect and prevent through traditional network monitoring approaches.
Security professionals should recognize this vulnerability as a classic example of improper file permissions and privilege escalation, mapping it to CWE-732 and CWE-276 within the CWE database. The attack pattern aligns with MITRE ATT&CK techniques related to privilege escalation and persistence, specifically targeting the T1068 and T1083 techniques. The exploitation pathway demonstrates how seemingly minor permission misconfigurations can enable sophisticated attacks that bypass multiple security controls. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to IPCop 1.4.10 or later, verifying file permissions on backup.key and related files, and monitoring for unauthorized backup file modifications. Additionally, system administrators should conduct comprehensive permission audits and establish automated monitoring for suspicious backup restoration activities to prevent exploitation of similar vulnerabilities.