CVE-2008-7207 in RivetTracker
Summary
by MITRE
RivetTracker before 1.0 stores passwords in cleartext in config.php, which allows local users to discover passwords by reading config.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/20/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-7207 affects RivetTracker versions prior to 1.0, presenting a critical security flaw in how the application handles credential storage. This issue resides in the configuration file management system where authentication credentials are persisted in an unencrypted format, creating an exploitable condition that directly violates fundamental security principles of credential protection. The flaw represents a classic example of insecure data storage practices that have been consistently flagged as high-risk across numerous security frameworks and standards.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the application's failure to implement proper encryption or obfuscation mechanisms for sensitive information within the config.php file. When RivetTracker initializes its configuration, it writes authentication credentials directly to disk in plain text format, making them immediately accessible to any user with read permissions to the file system. This cleartext storage approach eliminates any form of cryptographic protection or access control measures that would typically safeguard sensitive data. The vulnerability can be categorized under CWE-312 (Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information) and represents a direct violation of the principle of least privilege and defense in depth security models. From an attack perspective, this flaw enables local privilege escalation scenarios where attackers with minimal system access can trivially extract authentication credentials.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft, as it fundamentally compromises the security posture of systems running affected versions of RivetTracker. An attacker who gains local access to the system can immediately retrieve administrative credentials, potentially enabling full system compromise through lateral movement and privilege escalation. This vulnerability affects the confidentiality and integrity of the system, as it allows unauthorized access to sensitive information that should remain protected. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that local access is often easier to achieve than remote exploitation methods, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where physical or administrative access controls may be insufficient. This flaw directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1552.001 (Credentials in Files) and demonstrates how poor configuration management can create persistent security weaknesses.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both immediate remediation and long-term architectural improvements to prevent similar issues. The most direct solution involves upgrading to RivetTracker version 1.0 or later, which implements proper encryption or obfuscation of credential storage. Organizations should also implement file system access controls to limit read permissions on configuration files to only necessary administrative accounts. Additionally, security practitioners should consider implementing automated monitoring for unauthorized file access attempts and regular security assessments to identify similar cleartext storage vulnerabilities in other applications. The remediation process should include comprehensive credential rotation for all affected systems and implementation of centralized credential management solutions that eliminate the need for local credential storage. This vulnerability highlights the importance of secure coding practices and proper security testing during application development lifecycle phases, particularly in the areas of data protection and configuration management.