CVE-2012-4588 in Enterprise Mobility Manager Agent
Summary
by MITRE
McAfee Enterprise Mobility Manager (EMM) Agent before 4.8 and Server before 10.1 record all invalid usernames presented in failed login attempts, and place them on a list of accounts that an administrator may wish to unlock, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (excessive list size in the EMM Database) via a long sequence of login attempts with different usernames.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/16/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-4588 affects McAfee Enterprise Mobility Manager EMM Agent versions prior to 4.8 and EMM Server versions prior to 10.1, representing a significant security weakness in mobile device management infrastructure. This flaw resides in the authentication logging mechanism where the system maintains records of all invalid usernames submitted during failed login attempts. The design flaw creates a persistent accumulation of user account entries in the EMM database without proper rate limiting or account sanitization processes, fundamentally undermining the system's ability to maintain operational integrity under adversarial conditions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the absence of input validation and account list management controls within the EMM authentication framework. When remote attackers execute prolonged sequences of login attempts using varying usernames, each invalid attempt triggers the system to append the username to an administrative unlock list. This process continues indefinitely without any mechanism to prevent list expansion beyond reasonable operational limits. The vulnerability directly maps to CWE-770, which addresses allocation of resources without limits or with inadequate limits, and represents a classic example of a resource exhaustion attack vector that can lead to system instability and service disruption.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service to encompass potential database corruption and administrative overhead issues. As the account list grows exponentially with each failed login attempt, the EMM database experiences increasing storage requirements and processing demands. This condition can lead to database performance degradation, increased backup times, and ultimately complete system unavailability when the database reaches capacity limits. The attack vector allows for sustained resource exhaustion attacks that can persist indefinitely, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where mobile device management systems are critical infrastructure components.
From an adversary perspective, this vulnerability provides a straightforward path to system disruption through relatively simple means. Attackers need only generate sustained login attempts with different usernames to gradually expand the account list beyond operational capacity. The attack requires minimal resources and can be executed through automated tools, making it particularly effective against systems with inadequate monitoring and alerting capabilities. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which covers resource exhaustion attacks, and demonstrates how seemingly benign authentication logging can become a weapon for system disruption. Organizations with multiple concurrent users or those utilizing automated provisioning processes face heightened risk due to the accelerated growth of the account list under normal operational conditions.
The recommended mitigations for this vulnerability include immediate deployment of McAfee EMM Agent version 4.8 and Server version 10.1, which implement proper account list management and rate limiting controls. System administrators should also establish database monitoring thresholds to detect unusual account list growth patterns and implement automated alerts for administrative review. Additional protective measures include configuring account lockout mechanisms after excessive failed attempts, implementing network-level rate limiting for authentication endpoints, and establishing regular database maintenance schedules to prevent uncontrolled list expansion. Organizations should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems to monitor for sustained authentication attack patterns and develop incident response procedures specifically addressing this type of resource exhaustion attack.