CVE-2008-0045 in Mac OS X
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in AFP Server in Apple Mac OS X 10.4.11 allows remote attackers to bypass cross-realm authentication via unknown manipulations of Kerberos principal realm names.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/07/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2008-0045 represents a significant security flaw within the Apple Mac OS X 10.4.11 AFP Server implementation that specifically targets the Kerberos authentication mechanism. This issue resides in the cross-realm authentication handling process where the system fails to properly validate or sanitize Kerberos principal realm names during the authentication handshake. The unspecified nature of the vulnerability suggests that attackers can manipulate the realm name components in ways that circumvent the intended security boundaries between different Kerberos realms, potentially allowing unauthorized access to network resources that should be protected by realm-based access controls.
This authentication bypass vulnerability operates at the protocol level within the Apple AFP (Apple Filing Protocol) server implementation, which is responsible for file sharing services in Mac OS X environments. The flaw specifically affects how the system processes Kerberos principal realm names during cross-realm authentication scenarios, where users from one Kerberos realm attempt to access resources in another realm. When attackers manipulate these realm name elements, they can potentially coerce the AFP server into accepting authentication requests that should otherwise be rejected due to realm validation failures. This weakness aligns with CWE-287, which addresses improper authentication issues, and represents a critical gap in the Kerberos authentication implementation that undermines the fundamental security model of cross-realm trust relationships.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation as it fundamentally compromises the trust boundaries that Kerberos is designed to maintain between different security domains. Attackers can exploit this weakness to gain unauthorized access to shared network resources, potentially leading to data exfiltration, system compromise, or lateral movement within the network infrastructure. The remote nature of the attack vector means that adversaries do not require physical access to the system or local network privileges to exploit this vulnerability, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where AFP servers are commonly deployed for file sharing services. This type of vulnerability directly impacts the integrity and confidentiality of networked file systems and can enable attackers to establish persistent access to sensitive organizational resources.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper realm name validation and sanitization within the AFP server authentication process. Organizations should ensure that all Kerberos principal realm names are properly validated against expected patterns and that cross-realm authentication requests are subjected to rigorous verification before authorization is granted. The implementation of additional authentication layers, such as multi-factor authentication or additional network segmentation, can help reduce the risk exposure. System administrators should also consider implementing network monitoring to detect unusual authentication patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper authentication protocol implementation and highlights the need for continuous security testing of authentication mechanisms, particularly in complex enterprise environments where cross-realm trust relationships are common. The issue also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1550.001 which covers use of Kerberoasting, though this specific vulnerability is more about authentication bypass than credential harvesting.