CVE-2012-2654 in Compute
Summary
by MITRE
The (1) EC2 and (2) OS APIs in OpenStack Compute (Nova) Folsom (2012.2), Essex (2012.1), and Diablo (2011.3) do not properly check the protocol when security groups are created and the network protocol is not specified entirely in lowercase, which allows remote attackers to bypass intended access restrictions.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/05/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-2654 affects the OpenStack Compute service known as Nova in its Folsom, Essex, and Diablo release versions from 2011 and 2012. This security flaw resides within the EC2 and OS APIs that govern how security groups are managed and enforced within the cloud infrastructure. The core issue manifests in the protocol validation mechanism that occurs when security groups are created, specifically when network protocols are not explicitly defined in lowercase characters. This improper validation creates a potential attack vector that could allow unauthorized users to circumvent access controls that are meant to protect cloud resources.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from a case-sensitive comparison operation that fails to normalize protocol specifications to lowercase before validation. When administrators or users create security groups within OpenStack Nova, they specify network protocols such as tcp, udp, or icmp for access control rules. The system should enforce that these protocols are consistently represented in lowercase to maintain proper access control policies. However, due to the flawed implementation, if an attacker submits protocol names in uppercase or mixed case formats, the validation process may incorrectly accept these inputs, thereby allowing unauthorized network access that bypasses the intended security restrictions.
This vulnerability directly impacts the principle of least privilege and access control enforcement within OpenStack cloud deployments. The operational consequences extend beyond simple protocol handling as they compromise the fundamental security model that cloud environments rely upon for network isolation and resource protection. Attackers could exploit this weakness to create security groups that permit access to services or ports that should otherwise be restricted, potentially leading to unauthorized data access, service disruption, or further compromise of the cloud infrastructure. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in multi-tenant environments where proper network isolation is critical for maintaining security boundaries between different users or organizations sharing the same cloud infrastructure.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which addresses improper input validation, and represents a classic example of how seemingly minor implementation details can create significant security weaknesses. The attack pattern follows typical privilege escalation and access control bypass techniques documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1068 privilege escalation and T1071 application layer protocol manipulation techniques. Organizations using affected OpenStack versions should immediately implement patches or workarounds that enforce proper protocol normalization to lowercase before validation, and conduct thorough audits of existing security group configurations to identify any potentially compromised access controls. The remediation process should include updating to patched versions of Nova, implementing proper input sanitization measures, and establishing monitoring procedures to detect unusual security group creation patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts.