CVE-2020-1624 in Junos
Summary
by MITRE
A local, authenticated user with shell can obtain the hashed values of login passwords and shared secrets via raw objmon configuration files. This issue affects all versions of Junos OS Evolved prior to 19.1R1.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/17/2024
This vulnerability represents a critical information disclosure flaw in Junos OS Evolved systems that allows locally authenticated users with shell access to extract hashed password values from raw objmon configuration files. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of sensitive data within the system's configuration management processes, specifically affecting versions prior to 19.1R1. The issue manifests when users with legitimate shell access can directly read configuration files that contain hashed credentials, potentially exposing login passwords and shared secrets that should remain protected. This weakness creates a significant security risk as it provides attackers with readily available hashed credentials that can be targeted through password cracking techniques or used in further attack vectors.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the objmon component within Junos OS Evolved, which manages system monitoring and configuration data. When system administrators or legitimate users access shell interfaces, they can navigate to specific configuration file locations where hashed credentials are stored in plain text format within objmon configuration files. This design flaw violates fundamental security principles of credential protection and demonstrates poor separation of concerns in the system architecture. The vulnerability operates at the local privilege level, requiring only authenticated shell access rather than elevated privileges, making it particularly dangerous in environments where multiple users have shell access. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-312 (Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information) and represents a failure in proper credential management and data protection mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, creating potential pathways for privilege escalation and lateral movement within affected networks. Once an attacker obtains these hashed values, they can attempt offline password cracking attacks or use the credentials in credential stuffing attacks against other systems. The vulnerability affects all versions of Junos OS Evolved prior to 19.1R1, indicating a widespread exposure across numerous network devices that may be running these older versions. Organizations using affected systems face significant risk of unauthorized access, as the extracted hashes can be targeted using rainbow table attacks or distributed computing resources to recover plaintext passwords. This weakness also enables attackers to maintain persistent access through stolen credentials, potentially compromising network integrity and availability. The vulnerability demonstrates a failure in the principle of least privilege and proper access control mechanisms, as it allows local users to bypass normal security controls that should prevent access to sensitive configuration data.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of affected systems to version 19.1R1 or later, which includes proper credential handling and configuration file access controls. Organizations should implement comprehensive inventory management to identify all affected devices running vulnerable versions of Junos OS Evolved and prioritize their remediation. Network administrators should conduct thorough configuration reviews to ensure that objmon configuration files are properly secured and that access controls are implemented to restrict unauthorized access to sensitive data. System hardening practices should include disabling unnecessary shell access where possible and implementing strict access controls for configuration file management. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unauthorized access attempts to sensitive configuration files, with logging and alerting mechanisms configured to identify potential exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should implement regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning to identify similar weaknesses in their network infrastructure, as this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper credential protection and configuration management practices. The remediation process should also include credential rotation for any systems where the vulnerability may have been exploited, ensuring that previously compromised credentials are invalidated and replaced with new secure values.