CVE-2012-3416 in Condor
Summary
by MITRE
Condor before 7.8.2 allows remote attackers to bypass host-based authentication and execute actions such as ALLOW_ADMINISTRATOR or ALLOW_WRITE by connecting from a system with a spoofed reverse DNS hostname.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/12/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-3416 affects Condor version 7.8.2 and earlier, representing a significant security flaw in the distributed computing framework's authentication mechanism. This issue stems from the system's reliance on reverse DNS hostname resolution for host-based authentication checks, creating a vector for remote attackers to manipulate the authentication process. The flaw specifically targets the way Condor validates incoming connections by examining the reverse DNS lookup of connecting systems, which can be easily spoofed or manipulated by malicious actors. This authentication bypass vulnerability fundamentally undermines the security model that Condor employs to protect its distributed computing environment from unauthorized access.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits the trust relationship between Condor's authentication system and DNS resolution services. When a system attempts to connect to a Condor daemon, the system performs a reverse DNS lookup on the connecting IP address to verify the hostname. However, if an attacker can control or manipulate the DNS records for their connecting system, they can present a spoofed hostname that matches the expected authentication parameters. This allows attackers to bypass the host-based access controls that should restrict administrative privileges such as ALLOW_ADMINISTRATOR or ALLOW_WRITE permissions. The flaw operates at the network layer where authentication decisions are made, leveraging the inherent weaknesses in DNS-based hostname verification without proper validation mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access to encompass potential full system compromise within Condor-managed computing environments. Attackers who successfully exploit this vulnerability can gain administrative control over Condor daemons, enabling them to modify job scheduling parameters, access sensitive data processed by the distributed computing framework, or even manipulate the execution of computational tasks. This authentication bypass can lead to denial of service conditions, data exfiltration, or the injection of malicious code into the distributed computing infrastructure. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in large-scale computing environments where Condor manages critical computational resources and where the compromise of a single daemon can affect numerous connected systems.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations to address this vulnerability by upgrading to Condor version 7.8.2 or later, which includes proper authentication validation mechanisms. Additional protective measures include configuring network-level access controls to restrict direct communication with Condor daemons, implementing proper DNS security measures to prevent spoofing, and establishing monitoring for unusual authentication patterns. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-287, which addresses improper authentication, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts, as attackers can effectively impersonate legitimate systems within the network. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and additional authentication layers to reduce the attack surface and prevent exploitation of similar DNS-based authentication flaws in other systems.