CVE-2012-3360 in Essex
Summary
by MITRE
Directory traversal vulnerability in virt/disk/api.py in OpenStack Compute (Nova) Folsom (2012.2) and Essex (2012.1), when used over libvirt-based hypervisors, allows remote authenticated users to write arbitrary files to the disk image via a .. (dot dot) in the path attribute of a file element.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/06/2021
The vulnerability described in CVE-2012-3360 represents a critical directory traversal flaw within OpenStack Compute Nova component, specifically affecting the Folsom and Essex release versions from 2012. This security weakness exists in the virt/disk/api.py file and impacts systems utilizing libvirt-based hypervisors. The flaw enables authenticated remote attackers to manipulate file paths and write arbitrary files to disk images, potentially compromising the integrity and confidentiality of virtualized environments. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and path sanitization within the Nova compute service, creating an avenue for attackers to bypass normal access controls and execute unauthorized file operations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of the path attribute within file elements during disk image operations. When a user submits a request containing a .. (dot dot) sequence in the path attribute, the system fails to properly validate or sanitize this input before processing it. This allows attackers to traverse directory structures and write files outside of intended boundaries. The flaw specifically affects the interaction between Nova's compute service and libvirt-based hypervisors, where the directory traversal occurs during disk image handling operations. This represents a classic path traversal vulnerability that maps to CWE-22, which defines the weakness of allowing uncontrolled directory traversal through user-supplied input. The vulnerability demonstrates a failure in proper input validation and access control enforcement within the virtualization management layer.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple file manipulation to encompass significant security risks for virtualized infrastructure. Attackers could potentially overwrite critical system files, inject malicious code into disk images, or create backdoor access points within virtual machines. This weakness undermines the fundamental security model of cloud environments by allowing authenticated users to bypass normal file system access controls and write arbitrary content to disk images. The implications are particularly severe in multi-tenant cloud deployments where one user's compromised account could potentially affect other virtual machines or the underlying host system. Organizations using OpenStack Nova in production environments would face risks of data corruption, unauthorized access, and potential compromise of entire virtualized infrastructures. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059, which involves executing malicious code through command and scripting interpreters, as attackers could leverage this path traversal to inject malicious payloads into virtual disk images.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2012-3360 should focus on immediate patching of affected OpenStack Nova versions, implementing strict input validation mechanisms, and enforcing proper access controls within virtualization environments. Organizations should apply the security patches released by OpenStack for Folsom and Essex versions, while also implementing additional defensive measures such as input sanitization, path validation, and monitoring for unusual file system operations. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper secure coding practices and input validation in cloud infrastructure components, particularly those handling user-supplied data in virtualization contexts. Security teams should also consider implementing network segmentation and access control policies to limit the potential impact of such vulnerabilities. Additionally, regular security assessments of virtualization management components should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in other parts of the cloud infrastructure stack, ensuring comprehensive protection against directory traversal attacks and related security threats.