Vulnerability Note VU#177243

Mac OS X Finder creates world-readable ".FBCIndex" file thereby disclosing sensitive information

Overview

Mac OS X's Find-By-Content indexing may store file data where it can be served to remote users by Apache.

I. Description

The Find-By-Content feature of Mac OS X generates indexing data from the contents of files in each directory. It then stores the indexing data for each directory in a hidden yet world-readable file named ".FBCIndex" within the same directory. If files in a directory served by the Apache Web server are indexed, the hidden index data file will be stored in the same directory where it can be viewed by remote users via HTTP.

II. Impact

Users may not be aware that their potentially sensitive file data is being indexed and stored where it can be served by Apache to the public.

III. Solution

The CERT/CC is currently unaware of a practical solution to this problem.

Turn off Find-By-Content indexing in Mac OS X.

Use Unix file permissions or Apache run-time configuration directives to limit access to the hidden index data file.

Systems Affected

Vendor	Status	Date Notified	Date Updated
Apple Computer Inc.	Vulnerable	28-Mar-2005

References

VU#642147
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/3325
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/3316

Credit

Thanks to Eric Bennett for discovering this vulnerability.

This document was written by Shawn Van Ittersum.

Other Information

Date Public:	2001-09-10
Date First Published:	2002-08-05
Date Last Updated:	2005-03-28
CERT Advisory:
CVE-ID(s):
NVD-ID(s):
US-CERT Technical Alerts:
Metric:	11.25
Document Revision:	22

If you have feedback, comments, or additional information about this vulnerability, please send us email.

Get Adobe Reader