CVE-2008-2291 in Altiris Deployment Solution
Summary
by MITRE
axengine.exe in Symantec Altiris Deployment Solution 6.8.x and 6.9.x before 6.9.176 generates credentials with a fixed salt or without any salt, which makes it easier for remote attackers to guess encrypted domain credentials.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/10/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-2291 affects Symantec Altiris Deployment Solution versions 6.8.x and 6.9.x prior to 6.9.176, specifically within the axengine.exe component. This issue represents a critical weakness in the credential handling mechanisms of the deployment solution, which is widely used for enterprise software deployment and management across organizations. The flaw resides in how the system generates cryptographic salts for credential encryption, creating a significant security risk that can be exploited by remote attackers to compromise domain credentials.
The technical flaw manifests in the improper implementation of cryptographic salt generation within the axengine.exe process. When credentials are encrypted for storage or transmission, the system either uses a fixed salt value or omits salt generation entirely. This cryptographic weakness directly violates fundamental security principles outlined in CWE-327, which addresses the use of weak cryptographic algorithms and improper implementation of cryptographic functions. The absence of properly randomized salts eliminates the essential entropy needed to protect encrypted credentials from rainbow table attacks and other cryptographic analysis techniques. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1552.001, which covers the exploitation of credentials through the use of weak encryption or predictable cryptographic parameters.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential compromise, as it enables attackers to systematically guess or reverse-engineer encrypted domain credentials without requiring extensive computational resources. This weakness is particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where the Altiris Deployment Solution manages critical software deployment operations across multiple systems. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to domain accounts, potentially escalating privileges and moving laterally within the network. The implications are severe because the affected solution is commonly deployed in mission-critical environments where unauthorized access could result in complete system compromise and data breaches.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to Symantec Altiris Deployment Solution version 6.9.176 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the salt generation issue. Network segmentation and monitoring should be enhanced to detect suspicious credential access patterns, while security teams should conduct comprehensive audits of all systems utilizing the affected solution. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper cryptographic implementation and highlights the need for regular security assessments of enterprise deployment tools. Organizations should also consider implementing additional authentication controls such as multi-factor authentication and privileged access management solutions to reduce the attack surface and limit the potential impact of credential compromise.