CVE-2011-1773 in virt-v2v
Summary
by MITRE
virt-v2v before 0.8.4 does not preserve the VNC console password when converting a guest, which allows local users to bypass the intended VNC authentication by connecting without a password.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/11/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-1773 affects the virt-v2v tool version 0.8.4 and earlier, representing a critical security flaw in virtual machine conversion processes. This issue specifically impacts the handling of VNC console passwords during guest conversion operations, creating a significant authentication bypass opportunity for local attackers. The vulnerability stems from the tool's failure to properly transfer or maintain VNC console password settings when migrating virtual machines from one environment to another.
The technical flaw resides in the virt-v2v conversion utility's inability to preserve VNC authentication credentials during the migration process. When converting a guest operating system, the tool neglects to carry forward the VNC console password configuration, leaving the converted guest with either no password protection or with the password field reset to an empty state. This oversight creates a scenario where local users can establish VNC connections to the converted virtual machine without providing the necessary authentication credentials that were originally configured on the source system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple authentication bypass, as it fundamentally undermines the security posture of virtualized environments where VNC console access is used for remote management and administration. Attackers can exploit this weakness to gain unauthorized access to virtual machine console sessions, potentially leading to complete system compromise, data exfiltration, or further lateral movement within the network infrastructure. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in environments where virtual machines are frequently migrated between different hypervisor platforms, as each conversion operation introduces the risk of exposing unprotected VNC console access.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control, specifically in the context of insufficient or improper access control mechanisms for console access. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this issue maps to T1078 legitimate credentials and T1046 network service scanning, as attackers can leverage the bypassed VNC access to establish persistent access and enumerate network services. The flaw also represents a failure in configuration management and credential preservation during system migration processes, which falls under the broader category of configuration vulnerabilities that affect system security controls.
Organizations should immediately upgrade to virt-v2v version 0.8.4 or later, which contains the necessary patches to properly preserve VNC console passwords during conversion operations. Additionally, system administrators should implement additional monitoring for unauthorized VNC connection attempts and consider implementing network segmentation to limit access to VNC ports. The mitigation strategy should also include regular security assessments of virtualization environments to identify similar credential preservation issues across other migration tools and virtualization management components.