CVE-2014-3431 in Encryption Desktop
Summary
by MITRE
Symantec PGP Desktop 10.x, and Encryption Desktop Professional 10.3.x before 10.3.2 MP2, on OS X uses world-writable permissions for temporary files, which allows local users to bypass intended restrictions on file reading, modification, creation, and permission changes via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/30/2021
Symantec PGP Desktop and Encryption Desktop Professional versions 10.x and 10.3.x before 10.3.2 MP2 on macOS operating systems contain a critical security flaw that stems from improper file permission handling during temporary file creation. This vulnerability represents a classic case of insecure temporary file handling where the software creates temporary files with world-writable permissions, effectively allowing any local user to manipulate these files regardless of their privileges or intended access restrictions. The flaw exists at the system-level file permission management where the application fails to properly secure temporary file creation processes, creating a persistent security weakness that can be exploited by malicious actors or unauthorized users with access to the system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the application's failure to set appropriate file permissions when creating temporary files during encryption or decryption operations. When PGP Desktop generates temporary files, it assigns permissions that permit world-writable access, meaning any user account on the system can modify, delete, or read these temporary files. This creates a privilege escalation vector where local users can bypass intended security controls and access restricted data or modify the encryption process itself. The unspecified vectors mentioned in the vulnerability description suggest that multiple attack paths exist, potentially including race conditions during file creation, symlink attacks, or direct file manipulation techniques that exploit the overly permissive permission model.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as it fundamentally undermines the encryption security model that PGP Desktop is designed to provide. Attackers can leverage this weakness to perform man-in-the-middle attacks on encrypted files, modify temporary data to inject malicious content, or gain unauthorized access to encrypted data that should remain protected. The vulnerability affects the core trust model of the encryption software, as it allows local privilege escalation that can result in complete compromise of the encryption system's integrity. This flaw particularly impacts organizations where multiple users share systems or where security policies require strict access controls on sensitive data, as the vulnerability can be exploited to bypass these controls entirely.
From a cybersecurity framework perspective, this vulnerability maps directly to CWE-377: Insecure Temporary Files and CWE-732: Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resources, both of which are categorized under the broader weakness types related to improper resource management and access control. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for Command and Scripting Interpreter and T1566.001 for Phishing, as attackers could use this weakness to create malicious temporary files that influence the encryption process or deliver payloads through compromised temporary file manipulation. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor patch version 10.3.2 MP2, reviewing system permissions for temporary file directories, and implementing additional monitoring for unauthorized file modifications in system temporary locations.
The remediation approach for this vulnerability requires both immediate patch deployment and ongoing system hardening measures. Symantec has addressed this issue through the 10.3.2 MP2 release, which properly implements secure temporary file creation with appropriate permission settings. System administrators should verify that temporary file directories are not world-writable and that proper access controls are enforced throughout the system. Additionally, organizations should implement monitoring solutions that can detect unauthorized modifications to temporary files or suspicious file creation patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper file permission handling in security-critical applications and serves as a reminder that even well-established security tools can contain fundamental flaws in their implementation that can be exploited by determined attackers.