CVE-2008-6828 in Altiris Deployment Solution
Summary
by MITRE
Symantec Altiris Deployment Solution 6.x before 6.9.355 SP1 stores the Application Identity Account password in memory in cleartext, which allows local users to gain privileges and modify clients of the Deployment Solution Server.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/21/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-6828 affects Symantec Altiris Deployment Solution version 6.x prior to 6.9.355 SP1, representing a critical security flaw in enterprise deployment management software. This issue stems from improper credential handling within the application's memory management processes, creating a significant attack vector for local adversaries who can exploit the cleartext storage of sensitive authentication credentials. The vulnerability specifically targets the Application Identity Account password, which serves as a crucial authentication mechanism for managing client systems within the deployment environment. The flaw enables unauthorized local access to systems that would otherwise require proper authentication, fundamentally compromising the security posture of organizations relying on this deployment solution.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the application's failure to properly encrypt or obfuscate sensitive password information during runtime operations. When the Altiris Deployment Solution processes deployment tasks, it maintains the Application Identity Account password in unencrypted form within system memory, making it accessible to any local user with sufficient privileges to inspect memory contents. This cleartext storage approach violates fundamental security principles and creates a direct pathway for privilege escalation attacks. The memory inspection process can be accomplished through various means including direct memory access tools, debugging utilities, or specialized forensic software that can read process memory. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-312 (Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information) and represents a classic case of insecure credential handling that has been consistently flagged as a high-risk security flaw across multiple security frameworks and standards.
The operational impact of CVE-2008-6828 extends beyond simple privilege escalation to encompass comprehensive system compromise and unauthorized client management capabilities. Local attackers who successfully exploit this vulnerability can not only gain elevated privileges but also modify client systems managed by the Deployment Solution Server, potentially leading to complete system takeover or data exfiltration. This compromise affects the integrity and confidentiality of the entire deployment infrastructure, as attackers can manipulate deployment tasks, modify client configurations, and potentially establish persistent access points within the network. The vulnerability undermines the trust model of the deployment solution, as any local user with access to the system can potentially compromise the entire deployment environment. Organizations using this software face significant risk of unauthorized system modifications, data breaches, and potential lateral movement within their network infrastructure, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where deployment solutions typically have elevated privileges and broad system access.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-6828 require immediate implementation of the vendor-provided patch version 6.9.355 SP1, which addresses the cleartext password storage issue through proper encryption mechanisms. System administrators should also implement additional security controls including mandatory access controls, privilege separation, and regular security auditing of system memory contents. The implementation of memory protection mechanisms such as address space layout randomization and data execution prevention can help reduce the effectiveness of memory inspection attacks. Organizations should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all systems running affected versions of the software and ensure proper patch management processes are in place. From an operational security perspective, the use of principle of least privilege should be enforced, limiting local user access to systems running the deployment solution. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of secure coding practices and regular security testing of enterprise software, particularly in critical infrastructure management tools. This issue aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 (Valid Accounts) and T1068 (Local Privilege Escalation) as it enables attackers to leverage legitimate accounts through credential compromise and subsequently escalate privileges to gain unauthorized system control.