CVE-2008-1970 in muCommander
Summary
by MITRE
muCommander before 0.8.2 stores credentials.xml with insecure permissions, which allows local users to obtain credentials.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/23/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-1970 affects muCommander versions prior to 0.8.2 and represents a critical security flaw in how the application handles credential storage. This issue stems from the application's failure to implement proper file system permissions when creating the credentials.xml configuration file. The flaw allows local attackers with access to the system to read sensitive authentication information that should remain protected.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the application's insecure default file permissions for the credentials.xml file. When muCommander saves user credentials for various network protocols and services, it creates a configuration file that lacks proper access controls. This file typically contains usernames, passwords, and other authentication tokens that users have entered into the application. The insecure permissions mean that any local user account on the system can read this file, effectively bypassing the application's own authentication mechanisms and exposing stored credentials to unauthorized access.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for users who rely on muCommander for managing multiple network connections and services. Attackers can exploit this flaw by simply navigating to the application's configuration directory and reading the credentials.xml file directly. This type of attack falls under the attack technique category of credential access as defined in the MITRE ATT&CK framework, specifically targeting the persistence and privilege escalation phases where attackers seek to obtain valid credentials for system access. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it does not require network access or external exploitation techniques, making it a straightforward local privilege escalation vector.
The root cause of this issue aligns with CWE-732, which describes improper limitation of a privilege to a resource, and CWE-276, which addresses incorrect permissions for a resource. These weaknesses indicate that the application fails to properly implement least privilege principles and does not enforce proper access controls on sensitive configuration files. The vulnerability also demonstrates poor security by design practices where sensitive data is not adequately protected at rest, violating fundamental security principles for credential storage.
Organizations and individual users who have been impacted by this vulnerability should immediately update to muCommander version 0.8.2 or later, which addresses the insecure permissions issue. System administrators should also conduct immediate audits of existing credentials.xml files to identify any potential compromise and rotate credentials for all services that may have been stored in the affected application. Additional mitigations include implementing proper file system access controls, using encrypted credential storage mechanisms, and conducting regular security assessments of third-party applications that handle sensitive authentication information. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the importance of proper file permission management and secure credential handling practices in application development, particularly for tools that manage network connectivity and authentication information.