CVE-2024-29146 in MFP
Summary
by MITRE • 11/26/2024
User passwords are decrypted and stored on memory before any user logged in. Those decrypted passwords can be retrieved from the coredump file. As for the details of affected product names, model numbers, and versions, refer to the information provided by the respective vendors listed under [References].
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/26/2024
This vulnerability represents a critical security flaw in how password handling is implemented within affected systems, directly violating fundamental principles of credential security and memory management. The issue occurs during the system initialization phase when user passwords are decrypted and temporarily stored in memory before any authentication process begins. This design flaw creates an exploitable condition where sensitive credential information exists in plaintext form within the system's memory space, making it accessible to malicious actors who can extract this information through various means including core dump file analysis. The vulnerability specifically impacts systems where authentication mechanisms are initialized prior to user login, creating a window of opportunity for credential exposure that persists until the system is rebooted or the memory is cleared.
The technical implementation of this flaw involves improper memory management practices where decrypted credentials are not securely handled or immediately cleared from memory after initialization. According to the common weakness enumeration framework, this vulnerability maps to CWE-312, which specifically addresses "Sensitive Data in Memory" and represents a direct violation of secure coding practices. The flaw essentially creates a persistent exposure of plaintext credentials in system memory, where the decrypted passwords are stored in a location that can be accessed by unauthorized processes or through system crash dump analysis. This type of vulnerability is particularly concerning because it occurs at the system level rather than within application code, making it more difficult to detect and remediate through traditional application security measures.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft, as it provides attackers with immediate access to valid user credentials that can be used for lateral movement, persistence, and privilege escalation within the compromised environment. From an attack framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with techniques described in the attack tactics and techniques matrix under the credential access category, specifically targeting the collection of credentials through memory scraping methods. The vulnerability's exploitation is particularly dangerous because it can be leveraged by attackers who gain access to system crash dumps, core files, or other memory analysis tools that can extract the plaintext credentials from the memory space. This creates a significant risk for organizations where system administrators or attackers with access to core dump files can extract and reuse these credentials for unauthorized access to user accounts.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both the immediate memory handling issues and the broader security architecture concerns. Organizations should implement memory sanitization practices that ensure decrypted credentials are immediately cleared from memory after initialization, followed by secure memory deallocation procedures. The implementation of memory protection mechanisms such as stack canaries, address space layout randomization, and heap memory protection can help prevent unauthorized access to sensitive memory regions. Additionally, system administrators should configure core dump file permissions to restrict access to privileged users only and implement regular monitoring for unauthorized core dump access. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of following secure coding practices and conducting thorough security reviews of authentication system initialization processes to prevent similar issues from occurring in other components of the system architecture.