Privilege Context Switching Error

Opis

The product does not properly manage privileges while it is switching between different contexts that have different privileges or spheres of control.

Skutki

• Access Control

  Gain Privileges or Assume Identity

  A user can assume the identity of another user with separate privileges in another context. This will give the user unauthorized access that may allow them to acquire the access information of other users.

Zapobieganie

• Architecture and Design, Operation

  Very carefully manage the setting, management, and handling of privileges. Explicitly manage trust zones in the software.

• Architecture and Design, Operation · Environment Hardening

  Run your code using the lowest privileges that are required to accomplish the necessary tasks [REF-76]. If possible, create isolated accounts with limited privileges that are only used for a single task. That way, a successful attack will not immediately give the attacker access to the rest of the software or its environment. For example, database applications rarely need to run as the database administrator, especially in day-to-day operations.

• Architecture and Design · Separation of Privilege

  Consider following the principle of separation of privilege. Require multiple conditions to be met before permitting access to a system resource.

Przykłady podatności

• CVE-2002-1688 Web browser cross domain problem when user hits "back" button.
• CVE-2003-1026 Web browser cross domain problem when user hits "back" button.
• CVE-2002-1770 Cross-domain issue - third party product passes code to web browser, which executes it in unsafe zone.
• CVE-2005-2263 Run callback in different security context after it has been changed from untrusted to trusted. * note that "context switch before actions are completed" is one type of problem that happens frequently, espec. in browsers.

Słabość nadrzędna

• CWE-269 Improper Privilege Management

Kiedy powstaje

• Architecture and Design
• Implementation — REALIZATION: This weakness is caused during implementation of an architectural security tactic.
• Operation

Dotyczy

Not Language-Specific, Not Technology-Specific

Uwagi

This concept needs more study.

Źródła

1. Writing Secure Code — Michael Howard, David LeBlanc, Chapter 7, "Running with Least Privilege" Page 207, Microsoft Press, 2002
2. Least Privilege — Sean Barnum, Michael Gegick, 2005