CVE-2012-4064 in Eucalyptus
Summary
by MITRE
Eucalyptus before 3.1.1 does not properly restrict the binding of external SOAP web-services messages, which allows remote authenticated users to gain privileges by sending a message to (1) Cloud Controller or (2) Walrus with the internal message format and a modified user id.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/22/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-4064 affects Eucalyptus cloud computing platforms prior to version 3.1.1, representing a critical authorization flaw that undermines the security of cloud service communications. This issue stems from insufficient validation of external SOAP web services messages within the platform's messaging infrastructure, creating a pathway for malicious actors to manipulate internal communication protocols. The flaw specifically targets the Cloud Controller and Walrus components, which serve as critical management interfaces for cloud operations and storage services respectively. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by crafting specially formatted SOAP messages that appear to originate from internal systems while containing modified user identifiers, effectively bypassing normal authentication mechanisms.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the improper handling of message binding processes within the Eucalyptus platform's web services layer. When external authenticated users send SOAP messages to the Cloud Controller or Walrus services, the system fails to adequately validate whether the incoming message originates from legitimate internal sources or has been crafted by an attacker. This misconfiguration allows the system to accept messages formatted with internal message structures but containing forged user identifiers, enabling privilege escalation attacks. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and specifically affects the platform's message validation and user identity verification processes, which are fundamental to maintaining proper access controls within cloud environments.
The operational impact of CVE-2012-4064 extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it enables authenticated attackers to perform privilege escalation attacks that can compromise entire cloud deployments. An attacker who gains access to any authenticated account within the Eucalyptus environment can leverage this vulnerability to impersonate other users or escalate their privileges to administrative levels. This compromise affects the core principles of cloud security including confidentiality, integrity, and availability, as unauthorized users can potentially access sensitive data, modify cloud configurations, or disrupt service operations. The vulnerability particularly impacts organizations relying on Eucalyptus for private cloud infrastructure, where the attack surface includes both internal and external network access points.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to Eucalyptus version 3.1.1 or later, which contains the necessary patches to properly validate external SOAP message bindings and user identifiers. Network segmentation and access controls should be strengthened to limit exposure of Cloud Controller and Walrus services to only trusted internal networks. Additionally, monitoring systems should be enhanced to detect anomalous SOAP message patterns and unauthorized privilege escalation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) and maps to ATT&CK techniques involving privilege escalation and credential manipulation. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls and message inspection tools to detect and block malformed SOAP requests before they can be processed by the vulnerable services. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar authorization flaws in cloud infrastructure components.