CVE-2011-1025 in OpenLDAP
Summary
by MITRE
bind.cpp in back-ndb in OpenLDAP 2.4.x before 2.4.24 does not require authentication for the root Distinguished Name (DN), which allows remote attackers to bypass intended access restrictions via an arbitrary password.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/12/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2011-1025 affects OpenLDAP versions prior to 2.4.24, specifically within the back-ndb backend implementation. This issue resides in the bind.cpp file where the authentication mechanism for the root Distinguished Name fails to enforce proper authentication requirements. The flaw represents a critical security weakness that undermines the fundamental access control mechanisms of the LDAP directory service.
The technical implementation flaw occurs when the system processes bind operations for the root DN, which should typically require valid authentication credentials. However, the back-ndb backend in affected OpenLDAP versions allows unauthorized access when an attacker provides an arbitrary password, bypassing the normal authentication flow. This vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of authentication credentials for privileged accounts, creating a path for unauthorized users to gain administrative access to the directory service.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it enables remote attackers to bypass intended access restrictions without proper authorization. An attacker can exploit this weakness to gain elevated privileges within the LDAP directory service, potentially leading to complete compromise of the directory infrastructure. This access bypass allows unauthorized users to perform administrative operations, modify directory entries, and access sensitive information stored within the LDAP database. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it affects the root DN, which typically has the highest level of privileges within the directory service.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-287, which addresses improper authentication issues, and represents a classic case of insufficient authorization checks. From an ATT&CK perspective, this weakness maps to privilege escalation techniques where adversaries can leverage authentication bypasses to gain higher-level system access. The vulnerability demonstrates poor input validation and authentication flow implementation, where the system fails to properly validate that the presented credentials correspond to legitimate authorization for the requested account.
Organizations should immediately upgrade to OpenLDAP version 2.4.24 or later to remediate this vulnerability. Additionally, administrators should implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of LDAP services to untrusted networks. Regular security audits of authentication mechanisms and monitoring for unusual bind operations should be implemented. The fix addresses the core authentication bypass issue by ensuring that all bind operations for privileged accounts require valid authentication credentials before granting access to the directory service.