CVE-2012-4413 in Keystone
Summary
by MITRE
OpenStack Keystone 2012.1.3 does not invalidate existing tokens when granting or revoking roles, which allows remote authenticated users to retain the privileges of the revoked roles.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/29/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-4413 affects OpenStack Keystone version 2012.1.3 and represents a critical authorization flaw that undermines the security model of cloud infrastructure management. This issue stems from the improper token invalidation mechanism within the Keystone identity service, which is responsible for managing authentication and authorization for OpenStack environments. The flaw specifically manifests when administrative actions are performed to grant or revoke user roles, creating a persistent security risk that allows attackers to maintain elevated privileges beyond the intended scope of role revocation.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the failure of the Keystone service to properly invalidate existing authentication tokens when role modifications occur. When an administrator revokes a role from a user, the system should immediately invalidate all existing tokens associated with that user to prevent further access with the revoked privileges. However, in the affected version, tokens remain valid and functional even after role revocation, creating a window of opportunity for malicious actors to exploit the system. This behavior violates fundamental security principles of least privilege and immediate effect for administrative changes, as demonstrated by the CWE-664 vulnerability classification related to improper control of a resource through lifetime management.
The operational impact of CVE-2012-4413 extends beyond simple privilege escalation to create a persistent backdoor within cloud environments. Remote authenticated users who have previously obtained access to a system can maintain their elevated privileges even after administrative actions have been taken to remove their access rights. This vulnerability particularly affects multi-tenant cloud deployments where role management is critical for maintaining isolation between different user groups and projects. The attack vector requires only authenticated access to the system, making it accessible to both internal users with legitimate credentials and potentially compromised accounts. This flaw directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.004 for Valid Accounts and T1566.001 for Phishing, as it can enable attackers to maintain access after initial compromise and potentially escalate their privileges through role manipulation.
Organizations implementing OpenStack Keystone services must understand that this vulnerability creates a persistent threat model where compromised accounts or insider threats can maintain access indefinitely. The lack of immediate token invalidation means that even properly configured access controls become ineffective once roles are revoked, as existing sessions continue to operate with the previous privilege levels. This vulnerability particularly impacts environments that rely heavily on dynamic role assignment and frequent access control modifications, where the security model depends on immediate enforcement of administrative changes. The flaw also demonstrates the importance of proper session management and token lifecycle control in cloud identity systems, as highlighted by security frameworks that emphasize the need for immediate privilege enforcement and session invalidation upon administrative changes. Organizations should implement immediate patching procedures and consider additional monitoring for unauthorized role modifications, as the vulnerability can persist across system restarts and does not require special conditions to exploit.