CVE-2015-8100 in net-snmp
Summary
by MITRE
The net-snmp package in OpenBSD through 5.8 uses 0644 permissions for snmpd.conf, which allows local users to obtain sensitive community information by reading this file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/26/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-8100 affects the net-snmp package implementation within OpenBSD operating systems through version 5.8. This security flaw stems from improper file permission configuration where the snmpd.conf configuration file is created with world-readable permissions set to 0644. The snmpd.conf file contains critical network management information including SNMP community strings that serve as passwords for accessing network devices through the Simple Network Management Protocol. These community strings are essential for authenticating SNMP requests and can provide attackers with unauthorized access to network infrastructure monitoring capabilities.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-732, which describes improper permission assignment for critical resources, and represents a classic case of insufficient access control. When a file is created with 0644 permissions, it means the owner has read and write access while group members and others have only read access. In the context of network management, this configuration exposes sensitive community information to any local user on the system, effectively creating a privilege escalation vector that undermines the fundamental security model of SNMP operations. The vulnerability exists because the package does not properly implement secure default configurations for sensitive files, particularly those containing authentication credentials.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it can enable attackers to gain unauthorized access to network monitoring data and potentially manipulate network device configurations. Local users who can read the snmpd.conf file can extract community strings that may grant them access to SNMPv1 or SNMPv2c managed devices, allowing for network reconnaissance, data exfiltration, and potential compromise of network infrastructure. This vulnerability particularly affects systems where multiple users share the same machine or where privilege escalation attacks are possible, as the information disclosure can be leveraged to establish further footholds within the network environment. The exposure of community strings can also facilitate lateral movement attacks where attackers use the discovered credentials to access other network devices that may be configured with the same or similar community strings.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-8100 should focus on immediate permission correction and long-term configuration management practices. System administrators should immediately verify and correct the file permissions on snmpd.conf to restrict access to only the necessary user accounts, typically the snmpd daemon process and system administrators. The recommended permissions should be 0600 or 0640, ensuring that only the owner or designated administrative users can read the file. Additionally, organizations should implement comprehensive security configuration management policies that enforce secure default permissions for all sensitive configuration files. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of following security best practices outlined in the OpenBSD security guidelines and implementing proper file access controls as specified in the NIST Cybersecurity Framework. Regular security audits and configuration reviews should be conducted to identify and remediate similar permission misconfigurations across all system components, particularly those handling authentication credentials or sensitive operational data.