CVE-2008-2367 in Certificate System
Summary
by MITRE
Red Hat Certificate System 7.2 uses world-readable permissions for password.conf and unspecified other configuration files, which allows local users to discover passwords by reading these files.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/28/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-2367 affects Red Hat Certificate System version 7.2 and represents a critical misconfiguration issue that undermines the security posture of certificate management infrastructure. This flaw stems from improper file permissions that allow unauthorized local access to sensitive configuration files, specifically password.conf and other unspecified configuration files within the system. The vulnerability exposes a fundamental weakness in the system's access control mechanisms, where sensitive authentication data becomes publicly readable without proper authorization checks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a clear violation of the principle of least privilege and proper file system permissions. When configuration files are set with world-readable permissions, any local user account on the system can access these files through standard file reading operations. The password.conf file typically contains authentication credentials, encryption keys, or other sensitive information that should remain protected from unauthorized access. This misconfiguration creates an attack surface that enables privilege escalation and credential harvesting attacks, where local adversaries can extract authentication secrets that would otherwise be protected by proper access controls.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it provides attackers with potential pathways for further system compromise. Once local users gain access to the password.conf file and other sensitive configuration data, they can leverage this information to authenticate as legitimate users, access restricted system resources, or escalate privileges within the certificate management environment. This vulnerability directly aligns with CWE-732: Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource, which specifically addresses the scenario where critical system resources are assigned incorrect permissions that allow unauthorized access. The exposure of authentication credentials through improper file permissions creates a significant risk for certificate management systems that rely on these components for secure operations.
The implications of this vulnerability are particularly concerning in enterprise environments where certificate systems manage thousands of digital certificates and cryptographic keys. Attackers who gain local access through this vulnerability can potentially compromise the entire certificate infrastructure, leading to widespread certificate trust issues, man-in-the-middle attacks, and unauthorized certificate issuance. The attack surface expands when considering that many certificate management systems operate with elevated privileges, making the exposure of configuration files even more dangerous. This vulnerability also correlates with ATT&CK technique T1003.001: OS Credential Dumping - LSASS Memory, as the compromised credentials could be used to access additional system resources, though the initial compromise occurs through file system access rather than memory dumping techniques.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-2367 should focus on immediate permission remediation and comprehensive security auditing of all configuration files within the certificate management system. System administrators must ensure that password.conf and all other sensitive configuration files are set with appropriate permissions, typically restricting access to the root user or specific administrative accounts only. The recommended permissions should align with security best practices such as those outlined in the Center for Internet Security (CIS) benchmarks for certificate management systems. Regular security audits should verify that no other configuration files contain similar permission issues, and automated monitoring systems should be implemented to detect unauthorized file access attempts. Additionally, implementing proper file system access controls and regular permission reviews will help prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in the future.