CVE-2017-2675 in Little Snitch
Summary
by MITRE
Little Snitch version 3.0 through 3.7.3 suffer from a local privilege escalation vulnerability in the installer part. The vulnerability is related to the installation of the configuration file "at.obdev.littlesnitchd.plist" which gets installed to /Library/LaunchDaemons.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/26/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-2675 represents a critical local privilege escalation flaw within Little Snitch network monitoring software versions 3.0 through 3.7.3. This issue specifically targets the installer component responsible for deploying the configuration file at.obdev.littlesnitchd.plist to the system-wide launch daemon directory at /Library/LaunchDaemons. The flaw stems from inadequate permission controls during the installation process, creating a path for malicious actors to elevate their privileges from standard user level to root access. The installer's failure to properly validate or restrict file permissions during deployment creates an exploitable condition that directly violates security principles of least privilege and proper access control mechanisms.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits the installation process of the Little Snitch daemon configuration file, which is designed to run with elevated privileges as a system-level service. When the installer places the at.obdev.littlesnitchd.plist file in /Library/LaunchDaemons without enforcing proper ownership and permission settings, it creates an opportunity for unauthorized modification or replacement of the legitimate configuration file. This weakness allows attackers to potentially inject malicious code or manipulate the service behavior, effectively gaining root-level access to the system. The vulnerability operates at the system administration level and aligns with CWE-276, which addresses incorrect permission assignment in software installations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it enables attackers to establish persistent access to compromised systems while maintaining elevated privileges. Once exploited, the attacker can manipulate network traffic filtering rules, potentially bypassing security controls or redirecting traffic to malicious endpoints. This capability directly relates to ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers local privilege escalation, and T1083, which involves system information discovery. The vulnerability undermines the integrity of the system's security infrastructure by allowing unauthorized modification of critical system services that are designed to operate with administrative privileges.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of affected Little Snitch versions to 3.7.4 or later, where the installer properly enforces secure file permissions. System administrators should also implement monitoring of the /Library/LaunchDaemons directory for unauthorized modifications to the at.obdev.littlesnitchd.plist file. Additionally, organizations should conduct regular security audits to verify proper file ownership and permissions on system service configuration files. The remediation process should include verification that all installed software components properly implement secure installation procedures, as outlined in industry standards for secure software development practices. Regular system integrity checks and automated monitoring solutions can help detect potential exploitation attempts and maintain the security posture against similar privilege escalation vectors.