CVE-2010-3905 in Eucalyptus
Summary
by MITRE
The password reset feature in the administrator interface for Eucalyptus 2.0.0 and 2.0.1 does not perform authentication, which allows remote attackers to gain privileges by sending password reset requests for other users.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/07/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-3905 represents a critical authentication bypass flaw within the administrative interface of Eucalyptus cloud infrastructure software versions 2.0.0 and 2.0.1. This weakness specifically targets the password reset functionality that is intended to provide legitimate users with a mechanism to recover access to their administrative accounts. The flaw stems from the complete absence of authentication checks during the password reset process, creating a fundamental security gap that undermines the integrity of the system's access control mechanisms.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability allows remote attackers to exploit the administrative interface without requiring valid credentials or authorization. When an attacker sends a password reset request through the affected interface, the system processes the request without verifying the identity of the requester or confirming their authorization to modify another user's account credentials. This design flaw aligns with CWE-287, which addresses improper authentication issues, and represents a classic case of insufficient authorization controls in privileged administrative functions. The vulnerability exists at the application layer and can be exploited over the network without requiring physical access or complex attack vectors.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, as it provides attackers with the ability to completely compromise administrative accounts across the affected Eucalyptus deployments. An attacker who can reach the administrative interface can reset passwords for any user account within the system, effectively granting them unauthorized administrative privileges. This creates a pathway for privilege escalation attacks that can lead to complete system compromise, data exfiltration, and unauthorized modifications to cloud infrastructure configurations. The vulnerability particularly affects cloud environments where administrative access is critical for managing virtual machines, storage resources, and user permissions, making it a significant threat to cloud security posture and compliance requirements.
Organizations utilizing Eucalyptus 2.0.0 or 2.0.1 should implement immediate mitigations to address this vulnerability. The primary remediation involves applying the vendor-provided security patches or upgrading to versions that properly implement authentication checks for password reset functionality. Additionally, network segmentation should be implemented to restrict access to administrative interfaces, and firewall rules should be configured to limit access to these critical endpoints to trusted administrative networks only. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under privilege escalation techniques, specifically targeting the T1078 credential access sub-technique, where attackers leverage weak authentication controls to gain unauthorized administrative access to systems. Organizations should also consider implementing additional monitoring and logging of administrative activities to detect suspicious password reset requests and unauthorized access attempts.