CVE-2016-10152 in Hesiod
Summary
by MITRE
The read_config_file function in lib/hesiod.c in Hesiod 3.2.1 falls back to the ".athena.mit.edu" default domain when opening the configuration file fails, which allows remote attackers to gain root privileges by poisoning the DNS cache.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/22/2022
The vulnerability described in CVE-2016-10152 resides within the Hesiod 3.2.1 library implementation in the read_config_file function located in lib/hesiod.c. This flaw represents a classic case of insecure default handling where the system fails to properly validate or secure its configuration process. When the function attempts to open a configuration file and encounters failure, it automatically reverts to a hardcoded default domain ".athena.mit.edu" instead of gracefully handling the error condition or terminating the process with appropriate security measures. This behavior creates a significant security gap that directly violates the principle of least privilege and secure error handling practices.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability leverages DNS cache poisoning techniques to manipulate the resolution of the default domain ".athena.mit.edu" to point to malicious servers controlled by the attacker. This allows remote adversaries to inject arbitrary configuration data that gets processed with elevated privileges, ultimately enabling privilege escalation to root access. The flaw demonstrates a critical failure in input validation and fallback mechanism design, where the system's default behavior introduces an attack surface that can be exploited without requiring local access or prior authentication. The vulnerability specifically relates to CWE-20, which addresses improper input validation, and CWE-252, concerning unchecked return values, both of which are fundamental security weaknesses in software design.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability compromises the integrity of the entire system since the configuration file processing occurs with root privileges, and the fallback mechanism provides an attack vector that can be exploited remotely. The attack requires only DNS manipulation capabilities and does not necessitate physical access or complex prerequisites, making it particularly dangerous for systems that rely on Hesiod for name resolution services. This vulnerability affects systems where Hesiod is used for authentication and name service resolution, potentially compromising entire networks that depend on these services for user identification and access control.
The mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper error handling mechanisms that prevent automatic fallback to hardcoded defaults without proper validation. System administrators should ensure that configuration files are properly secured with appropriate permissions and that DNS resolution for default domains is protected against cache poisoning attacks. The implementation should follow secure coding practices such as those outlined in the OWASP Secure Coding Guidelines and the CERT Secure Coding Standards, specifically addressing issues related to error handling and input validation. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing DNS security measures including DNSSEC to prevent cache poisoning attacks that could exploit this vulnerability. The solution must also include monitoring and alerting mechanisms to detect unauthorized changes to configuration files and DNS resolution patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability highlights the critical importance of secure default configurations and proper error handling in security-critical systems, as outlined in the ATT&CK framework's techniques for privilege escalation through configuration flaws.