CVE-2008-3610 in Mac OS X
Summary
by MITRE
Race condition in Login Window in Apple Mac OS X 10.5 through 10.5.4, when a blank-password account is enabled, allows attackers to bypass password authentication and login to any account via multiple attempts to login to the blank-password account, followed by selection of an arbitrary account from the user list.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/31/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2008-3610 represents a critical race condition flaw within the Login Window component of Apple Mac OS X versions 10.5 through 10.5.4. This security weakness specifically manifests when systems are configured with blank-password accounts enabled, creating a window of opportunity for unauthorized access. The flaw operates through a sophisticated timing-based attack vector that exploits the sequential processing of authentication requests within the operating system's login mechanism. The vulnerability falls under the category of CWE-362, which specifically addresses race conditions in software systems where concurrent operations can lead to security breaches. This particular implementation demonstrates how improper synchronization of authentication states can create exploitable conditions in user session management.
The technical execution of this vulnerability relies on the fundamental flaw in the login window's state management during authentication attempts. When a blank-password account is present in the system, attackers can repeatedly attempt to log into this account using no password, which causes the system to process these authentication requests in a manner that does not properly validate subsequent account selections. The race condition occurs because the system fails to properly lock or validate the authentication state between the initial blank-password attempt and the subsequent account selection phase. This allows an attacker to manipulate the user selection interface after establishing a successful authentication against the blank-password account, effectively bypassing the normal password verification process for any other account in the system's user list.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple unauthorized access, representing a complete breakdown in the operating system's authentication security model. Attackers can leverage this weakness to gain access to any user account on the system without requiring legitimate credentials for those specific accounts, making it particularly dangerous in multi-user environments or systems with administrative privileges. The vulnerability effectively nullifies the security benefits of password protection for other accounts, as the attacker only needs to successfully authenticate against the blank-password account to gain access to the entire user selection interface. This type of attack pattern aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and credential access, specifically targeting the exploitation of legitimate system functionality to bypass normal authentication controls.
The mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily involve immediate system updates and configuration changes. Apple addressed this issue through security patches released in subsequent updates to Mac OS X 10.5.5 and later versions. Organizations should ensure that blank-password accounts are disabled on all systems, as this configuration is inherently insecure when combined with the race condition vulnerability. System administrators should implement strict account management policies that prohibit the creation of accounts without passwords, particularly in production environments. Additionally, network-level monitoring should be employed to detect unusual login patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability serves as a prime example of why proper synchronization mechanisms are crucial in security-critical code paths, and why race conditions in authentication systems can lead to complete bypass of security controls. The flaw demonstrates the importance of maintaining consistent state validation throughout authentication workflows and highlights the necessity of thorough testing for concurrent access scenarios in security-sensitive applications.