CVE-2012-5578 in Python
Summary
by MITRE
Python keyring has insecure permissions on new databases allowing world-readable files to be created
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/26/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-5578 affects the Python keyring library, a widely used component for managing credentials and secrets in Python applications. This issue stems from insecure default permissions when creating new keyring databases, allowing files to be created with world-readable permissions that expose sensitive authentication data to unauthorized users on the system. The flaw represents a critical security oversight in how the library handles file system access controls during credential storage operations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs within the keyring library's database creation mechanism where it fails to properly set file permissions when initializing new keyring stores. When applications using the python keyring library create new credential databases, the underlying file system operations do not enforce restrictive access controls, resulting in files being created with permissions that allow any user on the system to read the contents. This design flaw typically manifests when the library creates keyring files in standard locations such as ~/.local/share/python_keyring/ or similar user directories, where the default umask settings or explicit permission assignments are insufficient to prevent unauthorized access.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond individual applications to potentially compromise entire system security postures. Attackers with basic user privileges can exploit this weakness to extract stored passwords, API keys, database credentials, and other sensitive authentication material that applications have entrusted to the keyring library. This vulnerability directly violates security principle of least privilege and can lead to privilege escalation scenarios where attackers use extracted credentials to access additional system resources or move laterally within network environments. The risk is particularly severe in multi-user systems where the keyring files may contain credentials for multiple applications or services, amplifying the potential damage from a single compromised credential store.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability involve both immediate code-level fixes and broader system hardening approaches. Developers should ensure that applications using the python keyring library implement proper file permission management during keyring initialization, typically by setting restrictive permissions such as 600 (read/write for owner only) on created keyring files. System administrators should audit existing keyring databases for insecure permissions and manually correct them using chmod commands while implementing monitoring to detect future unauthorized access attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-732: Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource, which emphasizes the importance of proper access control mechanisms for sensitive data storage. From an attack framework perspective, this weakness can be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1555.005: Credentials from Password Stores - Credentials from Keychain, demonstrating how insecure keyring implementations can facilitate credential theft attacks. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as mandatory access controls, file integrity monitoring, and regular security audits to detect and prevent exploitation of similar permission-related vulnerabilities in credential management systems.