CVE-2008-3424 in Condor
Summary
by MITRE
Condor before 7.0.4 does not properly handle wildcards in the ALLOW_WRITE, DENY_WRITE, HOSTALLOW_WRITE, or HOSTDENY_WRITE configuration variables in authorization policy lists, which might allow remote attackers to bypass intended access restrictions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/15/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-3424 affects Condor versions prior to 7.0.4, specifically targeting the authorization policy handling mechanisms within the distributed computing framework. This issue resides in how Condor processes wildcard characters within configuration variables that control write access permissions. The affected parameters include ALLOW_WRITE, DENY_WRITE, HOSTALLOW_WRITE, and HOSTDENY_WRITE which are critical components of Condor's security model for managing resource access across distributed computing environments. These configuration variables are designed to define which hosts or users can perform write operations on specific resources, making proper wildcard handling essential for maintaining access controls.
The technical flaw stems from insufficient validation and processing of wildcard characters within these authorization policy lists. When wildcards are present in the configuration values, Condor fails to properly evaluate the intended scope of access restrictions, creating potential security gaps that malicious actors can exploit. This improper wildcard handling allows remote attackers to craft requests that bypass the intended access control policies, effectively granting unauthorized write privileges to systems or resources that should remain restricted. The vulnerability represents a classic case of insufficient input validation and access control enforcement, where the system fails to properly interpret the security intent encoded in the configuration parameters.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it can compromise the integrity and security of distributed computing environments managed by Condor. Attackers exploiting this weakness can potentially modify or delete critical files, alter job scheduling behaviors, or manipulate resource allocation policies across the cluster. In enterprise environments where Condor is used for high-performance computing, grid computing, or distributed processing, this vulnerability could enable attackers to disrupt services, steal sensitive data, or gain persistent access to compute resources. The remote nature of the attack means that adversaries do not require local system access or credentials, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous in networked environments.
Organizations should immediately upgrade to Condor version 7.0.4 or later, which contains the necessary patches to properly handle wildcard characters in authorization policy lists. System administrators should conduct thorough reviews of existing configuration files to identify any instances where wildcard characters are used in the affected parameters, ensuring that access control policies are properly defined without relying on potentially exploitable wildcard patterns. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-264, which addresses permissions, privileges, and access controls, and corresponds to tactics in the ATT&CK framework related to privilege escalation and defense evasion. Network segmentation and monitoring of access control policy changes should be implemented as additional defensive measures to detect potential exploitation attempts.