CVE-2010-2239 in libvirt
Summary
by MITRE
Red Hat libvirt, possibly 0.6.0 through 0.8.2, creates new images without setting the user-defined backing-store format, which allows guest OS users to read arbitrary files on the host OS via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/23/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-2239 affects Red Hat libvirt virtualization management software versions 0.6.0 through 0.8.2, representing a critical security flaw in virtual machine image handling mechanisms. This issue stems from insufficient input validation and improper default configuration handling when creating new virtual machine images within the libvirt framework. The vulnerability specifically relates to the creation of new images without establishing proper user-defined backing-store format specifications, creating a dangerous condition that can be exploited by malicious guest operating system users to access sensitive host system data.
The technical flaw manifests when libvirt creates new virtual machine images without explicitly setting the backing-store format, allowing guest users to manipulate image creation processes through unspecified vectors that leverage the default configuration behaviors. This vulnerability operates at the intersection of virtualization security boundaries and file system access controls, where guest operating systems can potentially exploit the misconfigured image creation process to read arbitrary files on the host system. The unspecified vectors suggest that the attack surface may involve multiple pathways including image format handling, storage allocation mechanisms, or file system traversal techniques that were not fully detailed in the initial vulnerability reporting.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability represents a severe privilege escalation risk that can result in complete host system compromise when exploited by guest users. The ability to read arbitrary files on the host system can expose sensitive configuration data, authentication credentials, system logs, and other critical information that should remain isolated within the host environment. This vulnerability undermines the fundamental security isolation principles that virtualization platforms are designed to maintain, allowing lateral movement from guest to host systems and potentially enabling further attacks on the broader network infrastructure. The impact extends beyond simple data theft to include potential system compromise, service disruption, and unauthorized access to enterprise resources.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory) and CWE-264 (Permissions, Privileges, and Access Controls) categories, demonstrating how improper configuration and lack of input validation can create dangerous security boundaries within virtualized environments. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving privilege escalation and credential access, specifically targeting the T1068 (Local Port Forwarding) and T1078 (Valid Accounts) tactics that attackers might use to maintain persistence and escalate privileges within compromised virtual environments. Organizations using affected libvirt versions should immediately implement mitigation strategies including updating to patched versions, implementing strict image creation policies, and monitoring for unauthorized virtual machine image modifications.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate patching of affected libvirt installations to versions that properly enforce user-defined backing-store formats during image creation processes. Network segmentation and access control measures should be implemented to limit guest system capabilities and prevent unauthorized file system access attempts. System administrators should also configure strict image creation policies that enforce proper format specifications and implement monitoring solutions that detect anomalous image creation activities. Additionally, regular security audits should verify that virtual machine configurations properly enforce security boundaries and that guest users cannot manipulate host-level file system access through virtualization layer vulnerabilities. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and configuration management in virtualization platforms, where even seemingly minor configuration oversights can create significant security risks across entire virtualized infrastructures.