CVE-2012-0745 in AIX
Summary
by MITRE
The getpwnam function in IBM AIX 5.3, 6.1, and 7.1 and VIOS 2.1.0.10 through 2.2.1.3 does not properly interact with customer-extended LDAP user filtering, which allows local users to gain privileges via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/24/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-0745 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within IBM AIX operating systems and VIOS environments. This issue specifically affects versions 5.3, 6.1, and 7.1 of AIX along with VIOS versions 2.1.0.10 through 2.2.1.3, where the getpwnam function fails to correctly process customer-extended LDAP user filtering mechanisms. The flaw enables local attackers to exploit improper interaction between the system's user lookup functionality and custom LDAP filtering configurations, creating pathways for unauthorized privilege elevation. This vulnerability falls under the category of improper input validation and authorization bypass, as detailed in CWE-284, where the system fails to properly validate or restrict access to user account information during authentication processes.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from how the getpwnam function handles user account lookups when LDAP user filtering has been extended by customers for their specific security requirements. When system administrators implement custom LDAP filtering rules to restrict user access or modify authentication behavior, the getpwnam function does not properly account for these extended configurations. This creates a scenario where local users can manipulate the authentication flow to bypass normal access controls, potentially allowing them to assume elevated privileges or access restricted user accounts. The unspecified vectors mentioned in the description suggest multiple potential attack paths that could be exploited depending on the specific LDAP configuration and system setup, making the vulnerability particularly challenging to predict and defend against.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to enterprise environments that rely heavily on LDAP integration for user management and authentication. Local users who might otherwise have restricted access to the system could leverage this flaw to gain administrative privileges or access sensitive data and system resources. The attack surface is particularly concerning in multi-user environments where multiple individuals share system resources, as a single compromised local account could potentially lead to broader system compromise. The vulnerability's presence in both AIX and VIOS platforms indicates it affects critical infrastructure components that manage virtualization and system-level operations, potentially allowing attackers to escalate privileges across virtualized environments. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068 which covers privilege escalation through local system exploitation and T1550 which addresses legitimate credentials and access tokens.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2012-0745 should focus on immediate patch deployment from IBM, as the vulnerability requires core system-level fixes that cannot be effectively addressed through configuration changes alone. Organizations should implement comprehensive monitoring for unusual authentication patterns or privilege escalation attempts, particularly when LDAP filtering configurations are in use. Security teams should conduct thorough assessments of existing LDAP configurations to identify potential exploitation vectors and implement additional access controls to limit local user privileges where possible. The vulnerability's nature suggests that defense-in-depth approaches are essential, including regular privilege audits, implementation of least privilege principles, and enhanced logging of authentication events. System administrators should also consider disabling unnecessary LDAP filtering extensions until proper patches are applied, though this may impact legitimate business requirements. Organizations should also review their incident response procedures to ensure rapid detection and remediation of any exploitation attempts, as the unspecified nature of the attack vectors makes proactive detection particularly challenging.