CVE-2016-7030 in FreeIPA
Summary
by MITRE
FreeIPA uses a default password policy that locks an account after 5 unsuccessful authentication attempts, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service by locking out the account in which system services run on.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/16/2022
The vulnerability described in CVE-2016-7030 resides within the FreeIPA identity management system, specifically targeting its default password policy implementation. FreeIPA is a comprehensive identity management solution that integrates DNS, LDAP, and Kerberos services to provide centralized authentication and authorization capabilities for enterprise environments. This particular weakness stems from the system's default configuration where account lockout mechanisms are triggered after only five failed authentication attempts, creating a potential vector for denial of service attacks that can significantly impact system availability and operational continuity.
The technical flaw manifests in the password policy configuration where the account lockout threshold is set to five unsuccessful authentication attempts without sufficient consideration for legitimate operational scenarios or adversarial exploitation. When remote attackers systematically attempt authentication with incorrect credentials against accounts running critical system services, they can quickly trigger the account lockout mechanism, effectively disabling legitimate access to essential services. This behavior represents a fundamental security misconfiguration that transforms a defensive mechanism designed to prevent brute force attacks into a tool for service disruption.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service interruption to encompass broader enterprise security implications. When system service accounts become locked out, critical infrastructure components such as DNS servers, LDAP directories, and authentication services may become inaccessible, potentially causing cascading failures throughout the organization's network infrastructure. The vulnerability particularly affects environments where FreeIPA manages authentication for multiple services, as the lockout of a single privileged account can compromise access to numerous dependent systems. This scenario aligns with attack patterns documented in the mitre ATT&CK framework under the credential access and privilege escalation domains, where adversaries exploit weak account lockout policies to maintain persistent access or disrupt operations.
Organizations implementing FreeIPA should address this vulnerability through immediate configuration adjustments that increase the account lockout threshold to reasonable levels while maintaining effective security controls. The recommended mitigation involves modifying the default password policy settings to establish higher thresholds for account lockout, typically ranging from 10 to 20 failed attempts depending on organizational requirements. Additionally, implementing account lockout policies that incorporate intelligent mechanisms such as time-based unlock delays or IP address tracking can prevent automated exploitation while maintaining security effectiveness. This remediation approach aligns with security best practices outlined in the cwe dictionary under weakness id 307, which addresses inadequate account lockout mechanisms that can be exploited for denial of service attacks. The vulnerability also demonstrates the importance of proper security configuration management and the principle of least privilege, where default settings should never compromise system availability even when security controls are properly implemented.