CVE-2012-2230 in Manager
Summary
by MITRE
Cloudera Manager 3.7.x before 3.7.5 and Service and Configuration Manager 3.5, when Kerberos is not enabled, does not properly install taskcontroller.cfg, which allows remote authenticated users to impersonate arbitrary user accounts via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2012-1574.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/01/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-2230 affects Cloudera Manager versions 3.7.x before 3.7.5 and Service and Configuration Manager 3.5, specifically when Kerberos authentication is disabled within the Hadoop ecosystem. This security flaw represents a critical configuration issue that undermines the integrity of user authentication mechanisms within Cloudera's management framework. The vulnerability stems from improper installation of the taskcontroller.cfg file, which serves as a crucial component for managing user permissions and access controls in distributed computing environments.
The technical flaw manifests in the improper handling of the taskcontroller.cfg configuration file during the installation process when Kerberos is not enabled. This misconfiguration allows authenticated users to exploit unspecified vectors that enable them to impersonate arbitrary user accounts within the system. The vulnerability operates at the configuration level rather than through direct code execution or network-based attacks, making it particularly insidious as it leverages legitimate authentication mechanisms to gain unauthorized access to system resources. The flaw essentially creates a path for privilege escalation where authenticated users can manipulate the system to execute tasks under different user identities than their own.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations relying on Cloudera's Hadoop management solutions. The ability to impersonate arbitrary user accounts compromises the principle of least privilege that is fundamental to secure system administration. Attackers could potentially escalate their privileges to access sensitive data, modify configurations, or execute unauthorized operations within the Hadoop cluster. The vulnerability affects the overall security posture of the system by undermining the trust model that should exist between authenticated users and the managed resources. Organizations using these specific versions of Cloudera Manager face potential data breaches and unauthorized system modifications that could compromise the entire distributed computing environment.
The mitigation strategy for CVE-2012-2230 involves upgrading to Cloudera Manager 3.7.5 or later versions where the taskcontroller.cfg file is properly installed and configured. System administrators should also review and validate their current configuration settings to ensure that the taskcontroller.cfg file is correctly implemented with appropriate permissions and access controls. Organizations should consider implementing additional monitoring and logging mechanisms to detect unauthorized user impersonation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-269, which addresses improper privilege management, and relates to ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts, as it enables attackers to leverage legitimate authenticated sessions to assume additional identities within the system. Regular security assessments and configuration reviews are essential to maintain the integrity of the Hadoop ecosystem when using Cloudera management tools.