Entrust Authority Security Manager (EASM) does not enforce multiple authorization requirement for master user password change

Overview

Entrust Authority Security Manager contains a vulnerability that could allow a master user to change the password of another master user. A master user could exploit this vulnerability to perform operations that otherwise require authorization by multiple master users.

Description

Entrust Authority Security Manager (EASM) is a public-key infrastructure (PKI) that includes a certificate authority (CA). EASM defines several privileged master users that have the ability to perform sensitive master user functions on the CA. Sensitive master user functions can be configured to require multiple authorizations by master users.

Changing the password of a master user is considered to be a sensitive operation that requires multiple authorizations. Under certain conditions, possibly involving the command line interface (CLI), the multiple authorization requirement is not enforced, allowing a single master user to change the password of another master user.

The following text was provided by Keith Sollers of Ernst & Young:

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Entrust Authority Security Manager Multiple Authorization Vulnerability
Ernst & Young announces the discovery of a vulnerability in Entrust Authority Security Manager (EASM) for Solaris and Windows NT.
The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) project has assigned the name CAN-2002-0712 to this issue. This is a candidate for inclusion in the CVE list (``<http://cve.mitre.org>``), which standardizes names for security problems.
Background:
EASM functions as a certificate authority within a public-key infrastructure (PKI). It issues certificates for entities and publishes certificate status information to an associated repository. Special users, called master users, are responsible for maintenance of critical processes that enable EASM to perform its core functions. By default, three master user IDs are created upon installation of EASM, master1, master2, and master3. These user IDs cannot be changed.
EASM can be configured to require multiple authorization for so-called sensitive master user functions. However, the master user function of changing another master user's password is not a sensitive function. Therefore, any one master user can circumvent the multiple authorization requirement for any sensitive function by first changing another master user's password to a known password, and then impersonating that other master user during the multiple authorization process.
Systems Affected:
Solaris 7 and Windows NT 4.0 with EASM version 6.0 installed. EASM version 6.0 on other platforms, and previous versions of EASM on all platforms, may also be affected, but were not tested.
Impact:
For systems that utilize the EASM multiple authorization feature for master user sensitive functions, a single attacker would be successful in performing unauthorized functions on the EASM, such as stopping critical services (denial of service).
Recommendation:
For systems where the multiple authorization of master user sensitive functions is desired, we recommend the introduction of mitigating logical and/or physical controls that assure multiple master users are involved during the multiple authorization process.
THE INFORMATION IN THIS VULNERABILITY ALERT IS PROVIDED BY ERNST & YOUNG LLP "AS IS", "WHERE IS", WITH NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, AND ERNST & YOUNG LLP HEREBY DISCLAIMS THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF NON-INFRINGEMENT, MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. ERNST & YOUNG LLP SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY FOR ANY DAMAGE, CLAIM OR LOSS RESULTING FROM YOUR USE OF THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS VULNERABILITY ALERT.

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Impact

A single EASM master user could change the password of another master user, thereby gaining the ability perform sensitive operations that require multiple authorizations. This could allow a master user to stop EASM services, causing a denial of service.

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Solution

Upgrade or Patch

This issue is resolved with mandatory upgrade 6.0.1 released on July 2, 2002.

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Provide Physical Access Controls

Provide additional logical and/or physical access controls to enforce the multiple authorization requirement to change master users’ passwords.

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Vendor Information

720017

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Entrust __ Affected

Notified: February 12, 2003 Updated: April 03, 2003

Status

Affected

Vendor Statement

This issue has been resolved in the latest commercial release of Entrust Authority Security Manager, version 6.0.1 released on July 2, 2002. Entrust customers can get more information at: <https://www.entrust.com/support/resources/e03-003.htm&gt;.

Vendor Information

The vendor has not provided us with any further information regarding this vulnerability.

Addendum

The CERT/CC has no additional comments at this time.

If you have feedback, comments, or additional information about this vulnerability, please send us [email](<mailto:[email protected]?Subject=VU%23720017 Feedback>).

CVSS Metrics

Group	Score	Vector
Base
Temporal
Environmental

References

• <http://www.entrust.com/authority/manager/datasheet.htm&gt;
• <http://www.entrust.com/authority/manager/faqs.htm&gt;
• <http://www.entrust.com/authority/manager/features.htm&gt;

Acknowledgements

This vulnerability was analyzed and reported by Keith Sollers of Ernst and Young.

This document was written by Art Manion.

Other Information

CVE IDs:	CVE-2002-0712
Severity Metric:	0.15 Date Public: