CVE-2017-9277 in eDitrectory
Summary
by MITRE
The LDAP backend in Novell eDirectory before 9.0 SP4 when switched to EBA (Enhanced Background Authentication) kept open connections without EBA.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/16/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-9277 affects Novell eDirectory versions prior to 9.0 SP4 when configured with Enhanced Background Authentication mode. This represents a significant security weakness in the directory service's connection management mechanism that could potentially allow unauthorized access or resource exhaustion attacks. The issue specifically manifests when the system transitions to EBA mode but fails to properly close or manage existing LDAP connections, creating a persistent state where connections remain open indefinitely. This behavior creates a potential attack surface that adversaries could exploit to consume system resources or maintain persistent access to the directory service infrastructure.
The technical flaw stems from improper connection handling within the LDAP backend implementation of Novell eDirectory. When the system switches to EBA mode, the authentication process changes but the legacy connection management logic does not adequately clean up or terminate existing connections that were established before the mode transition. This creates a scenario where multiple connections remain in an open state without proper authentication or authorization verification, effectively maintaining access to the directory service without the security controls that EBA is designed to enforce. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-400 as an Uncontrolled Resource Consumption, specifically involving improper handling of network connections and authentication states.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple resource consumption issues. Attackers who can exploit this weakness may gain persistent access to directory services, potentially leading to credential theft, privilege escalation, or lateral movement within the network. The open connections could be leveraged to perform unauthorized directory queries or operations, undermining the security controls that directory services are designed to provide. Additionally, the accumulation of stale connections could lead to system performance degradation or even denial of service conditions, particularly in environments with high connection volumes or limited system resources. This vulnerability directly impacts the integrity and availability of directory services that many enterprise applications depend upon for authentication and authorization functions.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to Novell eDirectory 9.0 SP4 or later versions where this issue has been resolved. System administrators should also monitor for and terminate any existing open connections that may have been created before EBA mode activation, while implementing proper connection management policies. The remediation process should include thorough testing of the updated configuration to ensure that EBA mode transitions properly close all legacy connections. Network segmentation and monitoring solutions should be enhanced to detect unusual connection patterns or resource consumption spikes that might indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of proper connection lifecycle management in authentication systems and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1565.001 for credential dumping and T1078 for valid accounts usage, as unauthorized access through open connections could enable further exploitation activities within the targeted environment.