CVE-2008-2329 in Mac OS X
Summary
by MITRE
Directory Services in Apple Mac OS X 10.5 through 10.5.4, when Active Directory is used, allows attackers to enumerate user names via wildcard characters in the Login Window.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/17/2019
This vulnerability exists in Apple Mac OS X versions 10.5 through 10.5.4 where Active Directory integration is configured. The flaw manifests in the Directory Services component which handles authentication and user management when connecting to Active Directory environments. When users attempt to log in through the Login Window interface, the system processes authentication requests in a manner that exposes user enumeration capabilities through the improper handling of wildcard characters in the login process. This represents a classic information disclosure vulnerability that violates fundamental security principles of authentication systems.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the way the Directory Services framework processes login requests when Active Directory is enabled. When an attacker submits a login request using wildcard characters such as asterisks or other pattern matching symbols in the username field, the system responds in a way that reveals whether the attempted username exists within the Active Directory domain. This occurs because the underlying authentication mechanism does not properly validate or sanitize the input before processing the directory lookup, allowing the system to return different error responses based on whether the username exists or not. The vulnerability specifically affects the Login Window component which serves as the primary interface for user authentication in Mac OS X environments.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for organizations using Mac OS X systems in Active Directory environments. Attackers can systematically enumerate valid user accounts within the domain by submitting various wildcard patterns and observing the system's response behavior. This information disclosure enables threat actors to build comprehensive user dictionaries that can then be used for targeted attacks including password spraying, credential stuffing, or more sophisticated social engineering campaigns. The vulnerability essentially provides an automated method for attackers to discover valid usernames without requiring prior knowledge of the system's user base, significantly reducing the attack surface and making subsequent exploitation attempts more effective. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1087.001 for Account Discovery and CWE-200 for Information Exposure.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to Apple Mac OS X 10.5.5 or later versions where this vulnerability has been patched. Network administrators should also consider implementing additional controls such as account lockout policies, authentication rate limiting, and monitoring for unusual login patterns that might indicate enumeration attempts. The patch addresses the root cause by modifying how wildcard characters are processed during the authentication flow in the Directory Services framework, ensuring that all authentication requests are handled uniformly regardless of input patterns. Additionally, organizations should review their Active Directory integration settings and consider implementing more robust authentication mechanisms such as multi-factor authentication to reduce the overall risk associated with credential exposure. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation in authentication systems and aligns with security best practices outlined in NIST SP 800-63 for identity and access management.