CVE-2012-2350 in pam_shield
Summary
by MITRE
pam_shield before 0.9.4: Default configuration does not perform protective action
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/26/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-2350 affects pam_shield versions prior to 0.9.4, representing a critical security flaw in the Pluggable Authentication Modules framework. This issue stems from the default configuration of pam_shield failing to implement protective measures that should be active by default, leaving systems exposed to potential authentication attacks. The vulnerability resides in the authentication module's design where protective mechanisms are either disabled or not properly initialized during the default installation process.
The technical flaw manifests as a missing or insufficient default security configuration within the pam_shield module, which is designed to provide additional authentication protection through various mechanisms including but not limited to account lockout policies, failed authentication attempt monitoring, and rate limiting controls. When deployed with default settings, the module fails to activate essential protective actions that would normally be triggered upon detection of suspicious authentication patterns. This creates a scenario where malicious actors can exploit the system without encountering the intended security barriers that should have been active from the outset.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple authentication failures, as it effectively provides attackers with an extended window of opportunity to conduct brute force attacks, credential stuffing, or other automated authentication attempts against protected systems. Systems utilizing vulnerable versions of pam_shield may experience unauthorized access attempts that would normally be detected and mitigated by the module's protective mechanisms. The vulnerability particularly affects environments where authentication security is paramount, such as enterprise networks, cloud infrastructures, and systems handling sensitive data, as the lack of default protection can lead to successful unauthorized access attempts.
Organizations implementing pam_shield without proper configuration review may find their authentication systems vulnerable to various attack vectors that could result in complete system compromise. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-1004 which addresses the issue of insecure default configurations, and represents a failure to follow the principle of least privilege in security module deployment. From an ATT&CK perspective, this vulnerability enables techniques such as credential access through brute force and credential dumping, as the protective measures that should prevent such activities are not active by default. The flaw essentially creates a false sense of security where administrators believe additional protection is active when it is not, leading to potential exploitation without detection.
The recommended mitigation strategy involves upgrading to pam_shield version 0.9.4 or later, which includes proper default configuration settings that activate protective actions. Additionally, system administrators should conduct comprehensive security audits of their authentication module configurations, ensuring that protective mechanisms are properly enabled and tuned according to organizational security requirements. Regular security assessments should verify that authentication modules are configured with appropriate default security settings, as outlined in industry best practices and security frameworks such as NIST SP 800-53. The vulnerability underscores the importance of proper security configuration management and the necessity of validating default settings before deployment in production environments.