CVE-2010-0401 in OpenTTD
Summary
by MITRE
OpenTTD before 1.0.1 accepts a company password for authentication in response to a request for the server password, which allows remote authenticated users to bypass intended access restrictions or cause a denial of service (daemon crash) by sending a company password packet.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/08/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-0401 affects OpenTTD versions prior to 1.0.1, representing a critical authentication flaw that undermines the software's security model. This issue stems from a design weakness in the protocol handling mechanism where the server incorrectly processes authentication requests, leading to a dangerous misinterpretation of credential types. The flaw exists within the network communication layer of the open-source simulation game server, specifically in how it validates and responds to authentication packets. When a client sends a company password packet, the server fails to properly distinguish between company passwords and server passwords, creating an exploitable condition that can be leveraged by malicious actors.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability allows attackers to exploit a fundamental flaw in the authentication system through a simple network packet manipulation attack. The vulnerability manifests when an authenticated user sends a company password packet instead of the expected server password, causing the server to process the company password as if it were a server password. This misinterpretation creates a security boundary violation that can result in unauthorized access to administrative functions or trigger a daemon crash that causes a denial of service condition. The flaw demonstrates poor input validation and authentication flow control, where the system does not properly validate the type of authentication packet received or verify the intended recipient of the authentication data.
The operational impact of CVE-2010-0401 extends beyond simple privilege escalation to encompass potential service disruption and unauthorized access to sensitive server functions. Remote authenticated users can exploit this vulnerability to bypass intended access controls, potentially gaining administrative privileges or accessing restricted server configurations that should only be available to authorized personnel. The denial of service component of this vulnerability presents a significant risk to server availability, as a single malicious packet can cause the entire OpenTTD daemon to crash, affecting all connected players and potentially disrupting ongoing gameplay sessions. This vulnerability affects both single-player and multiplayer server environments, making it particularly dangerous in public or shared server configurations where multiple users have authenticated access.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control issues in software systems. The flaw represents a clear breakdown in the principle of least privilege, where the authentication system fails to properly enforce access boundaries. The attack vector demonstrates characteristics consistent with network-based exploitation techniques found in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1110 category for credential access and T1499 for endpoint denial of service. Organizations running OpenTTD servers should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to version 1.0.1 or later, which contains the necessary patches to properly distinguish between authentication packet types. Additionally, network-level firewalls should be configured to restrict access to server ports and implement rate limiting to prevent abuse of the authentication system. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of proper input validation and authentication flow control in networked applications, particularly in environments where multiple authentication mechanisms coexist and must be properly differentiated to maintain security boundaries.