CVE-2008-3168 in Empire Server
Summary
by MITRE
The files utility in Empire Server before 4.3.15 discloses the world creation time, which makes it easier for attackers to determine the PRNG seed.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/24/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-3168 affects the files utility within Empire Server versions prior to 4.3.15, creating a significant security weakness that exposes system metadata inappropriately. This disclosure occurs during world creation time information retrieval, which inadvertently provides attackers with critical temporal data that can be leveraged to infer or predict the underlying pseudorandom number generator seed. The issue stems from insufficient access controls and information disclosure mechanisms within the server's file handling processes, where temporal metadata becomes accessible to unauthorized parties without proper authentication or authorization checks. This vulnerability represents a classic case of information exposure that undermines the security posture of the affected system.
The technical flaw manifests through the improper handling of world creation timestamps within the Empire Server's file management subsystem, where these temporal indicators are exposed in cleartext without adequate protection mechanisms. Attackers can exploit this weakness by analyzing the disclosed world creation times to correlate with known PRNG seeding patterns, potentially allowing them to reconstruct or predict the seed values used by the system's random number generation algorithms. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-200, which specifically addresses information exposure, and falls under the broader category of timing attacks that exploit temporal information to compromise cryptographic security. The flaw operates at the application layer where file system metadata is not properly sanitized or restricted, creating a direct pathway for attackers to gather intelligence about the system's operational parameters.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it significantly weakens the cryptographic security model of the Empire Server by making it easier for attackers to compromise random number generation processes. When an attacker can determine or predict the PRNG seed, they gain the ability to potentially predict future random values, which could lead to session hijacking, cryptographic key compromise, or other security breaches depending on how the random numbers are utilized within the system. This weakness particularly affects systems that rely on proper entropy sources for security operations, as the predictable nature of the PRNG seed undermines the fundamental security assumptions that govern secure random number generation. The vulnerability enables attackers to perform sophisticated attacks that require knowledge of the system's internal timing mechanisms, making it a significant concern for systems where randomness is critical for security operations.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-3168 should focus on implementing proper access controls and information disclosure restrictions within the files utility, ensuring that world creation timestamps and other metadata are not exposed to unauthorized users. System administrators should upgrade to Empire Server version 4.3.15 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the information disclosure issue. Additional protective measures include implementing proper input validation, sanitizing metadata before exposure, and ensuring that all file system operations adhere to least privilege principles. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of following security best practices such as those outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and NIST guidelines for secure coding practices, particularly regarding information hiding and proper resource management. Organizations should conduct regular security assessments to identify similar information disclosure vulnerabilities and ensure that temporal metadata is properly protected to maintain the integrity of cryptographic operations and system security.