CVE-2012-2746 in 389 Directory Server
Summary
by MITRE
389 Directory Server before 1.2.11.6 (aka Red Hat Directory Server before 8.2.10-3), when the password of a LDAP user has been changed and audit logging is enabled, saves the new password to the log in plain text, which allows remote authenticated users to read the password.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/05/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-2746 affects the 389 Directory Server software family, specifically versions prior to 1.2.11.6 and Red Hat Directory Server versions before 8.2.10-3. This flaw represents a critical security oversight in the server's audit logging mechanism that directly impacts authentication security. The issue manifests when LDAP user passwords are modified while audit logging is enabled, creating a significant exposure risk for organizations relying on this directory service infrastructure. The vulnerability falls under the category of insecure logging practices and data exposure, which are commonly categorized under CWE-532 as "Information Exposure Through Log Data" and CWE-259 as "Use of Hard-coded Password."
The technical flaw occurs within the audit logging subsystem of the directory server where password change operations are recorded. When a user's password is modified through LDAP operations, the system automatically logs this activity for compliance and security monitoring purposes. However, the implementation fails to properly sanitize the audit log entries, resulting in the plaintext password being written to the log files without any form of obfuscation or encryption. This design flaw essentially transforms the audit logging functionality, which should serve as a security control, into a potential attack vector that undermines the very security measures it was intended to support.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple data exposure, as it fundamentally compromises the security model of the directory service. Remote authenticated users who can access the audit logs gain immediate access to plaintext passwords, potentially enabling them to escalate privileges, access unauthorized resources, or conduct further attacks against the directory service and associated systems. This vulnerability directly violates the principle of least privilege and creates a scenario where legitimate system access becomes a pathway to credential compromise. The attack surface is particularly concerning because audit logs are often accessible to system administrators and security monitoring tools, making the plaintext passwords available to multiple potential threat actors within the organization.
Organizations implementing mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems to the recommended versions 1.2.11.6 or later for 389 Directory Server, or 8.2.10-3 for Red Hat Directory Server. Additionally, administrators should implement log access controls to limit who can view audit logs containing sensitive information, though this represents a temporary workaround rather than a permanent solution. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input sanitization in security-critical systems and reinforces the need for comprehensive security testing of logging mechanisms. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques such as T1562.006 for "Impair Defenses: Log Clearing" and T1528 for "Steal Application Access Token" when considering the broader implications of credential exposure through logging mechanisms. Security teams should also consider implementing additional monitoring for unusual audit log access patterns and ensure that all sensitive data processing activities undergo proper security review before deployment.