CVE-2012-3459 in Cumin
Summary
by MITRE
Cumin before 0.1.5444, as used in Red Hat Enterprise Messaging, Realtime, and Grid (MRG) 2.0, allows remote authenticated users to modify Condor attributes and possibly gain privileges via crafted additional parameters in an HTTP POST request, which triggers a job attribute change request to Condor.
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/14/2021
The vulnerability described in CVE-2012-3459 represents a significant authorization bypass flaw within the Cumin framework version 0.1.5444 and earlier implementations used in Red Hat Enterprise Messaging, Realtime, and Grid 2.0 environments. This issue stems from insufficient input validation and parameter handling within the HTTP POST request processing mechanism that governs Condor job attribute modifications. The flaw specifically affects systems where Cumin serves as an intermediary for Condor job management, creating a pathway for authenticated attackers to manipulate system behavior through crafted HTTP requests.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits a weakness in parameter parsing where additional parameters included in HTTP POST requests are not adequately sanitized or validated before being forwarded to Condor job attribute modification functions. When an authenticated user submits a maliciously crafted HTTP POST request containing specially constructed parameters, the system processes these inputs without proper authorization checks, allowing the attacker to modify Condor job attributes that should be restricted to privileged operations. This represents a classic case of improper access control where the system fails to validate that the requesting user has appropriate permissions for the requested attribute modifications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple attribute modification, potentially enabling privilege escalation within the Condor job scheduling system. Attackers could manipulate job attributes such as execution permissions, resource allocation, or job priorities, which could lead to unauthorized system access, resource consumption, or even system compromise. The vulnerability affects critical enterprise messaging and grid computing environments where Condor job scheduling is fundamental to system operations, making it particularly dangerous in production environments where multiple users interact with the system.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with ATT&CK technique T1068, which involves exploiting vulnerabilities in legitimate credentials. The flaw represents a critical security gap in the authorization model of the Cumin framework, where the system assumes that authenticated users can perform all operations without proper validation of their privileges for specific attribute modifications. Organizations utilizing Red Hat Enterprise Messaging, Realtime, and Grid 2.0 should immediately apply the vendor-provided patches that address this vulnerability through enhanced parameter validation and stricter access control enforcement.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate patch deployment to Cumin version 0.1.5444 or later, implementation of network segmentation to limit access to the affected systems, and enhanced monitoring of HTTP POST requests to detect anomalous parameter patterns. Security teams should also conduct thorough access control reviews to ensure that only authorized users can submit requests that modify critical Condor job attributes. Additional defensive measures include implementing web application firewalls to filter suspicious HTTP requests and establishing automated monitoring for unauthorized attribute changes within the Condor system, as these modifications could indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of validating all user inputs and enforcing proper authorization checks at every level of system interaction, particularly when dealing with distributed job scheduling systems that handle critical enterprise workloads.