CVE-2024-37408 in fprintd
Summary
by MITRE • 06/08/2024
fprintd through 1.94.3 lacks a security attention mechanism, and thus unexpected actions might be authorized by "auth sufficient pam_fprintd.so" for Sudo.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/07/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-37408 affects the fprintd daemon version 1.94.3 and earlier, which represents a significant security flaw in the fingerprint authentication framework used by Linux systems. This issue stems from the absence of proper security attention mechanisms within the fprintd implementation, creating a potential vector for unauthorized authentication bypasses. The vulnerability specifically impacts systems that utilize the "auth sufficient pam_fprintd.so" module within their sudo configurations, where fingerprint authentication is considered sufficient for privilege escalation. This flaw exploits the fundamental trust model of the authentication system, where the lack of proper security attention mechanisms allows for unexpected authorization behaviors that could be manipulated by malicious actors.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the insufficient implementation of security attention mechanisms within the fprintd daemon's authentication flow. Security attention mechanisms are critical components that ensure proper authentication context and prevent various attack vectors including replay attacks, session hijacking, and unauthorized privilege escalation. When fprintd lacks these mechanisms, it fails to properly validate the security context of authentication requests, particularly in scenarios where the authentication is considered sufficient for sudo operations. This absence creates a gap in the authentication flow where the system might accept authentication requests without proper verification of the security context, potentially allowing attackers to exploit the trust relationship between the fingerprint authentication module and the sudo authorization system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple authentication bypasses, as it fundamentally undermines the security posture of systems relying on fingerprint authentication for privilege escalation. Attackers could potentially exploit this weakness to gain unauthorized administrative access to systems by manipulating the authentication flow when "auth sufficient pam_fprintd.so" is configured in sudoers files. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-310, which addresses cryptographic weaknesses in authentication systems, and represents a critical failure in the security attention mechanisms that should be present in all authentication components. The flaw particularly affects enterprise environments where fingerprint readers are commonly used for secure access control, as it creates a potential backdoor for unauthorized privilege escalation that could go undetected for extended periods.
Systems utilizing the affected fprintd versions with "auth sufficient pam_fprintd.so" configurations are at risk of unauthorized access, particularly in environments where fingerprint authentication is trusted for administrative operations. The vulnerability represents a significant concern for organizations implementing multi-factor authentication strategies that rely on fingerprint readers as part of their security infrastructure. Security professionals should consider this issue in the context of ATT&CK framework's privilege escalation techniques, specifically focusing on credential access and privilege escalation vectors that exploit authentication weaknesses. Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation by updating to fprintd version 1.94.4 or later, which includes the necessary security attention mechanisms. Additionally, system administrators should review sudo configurations to ensure that fingerprint authentication is not configured as sufficient for administrative operations without additional security controls, and consider implementing more robust authentication mechanisms that do not rely on single-factor authentication for privilege escalation.