CVE-2012-4456 in Keystone
Summary
by MITRE
The (1) OS-KSADM/services and (2) tenant APIs in OpenStack Keystone Essex before 2012.1.2 and Folsom before folsom-2 do not properly validate X-Auth-Token, which allow remote attackers to read the roles for an arbitrary user or get, create, or delete arbitrary services.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/14/2021
The vulnerability described in CVE-2012-4456 represents a critical authorization flaw within OpenStack Keystone authentication services that affected versions prior to 2012.1.2 and folsom-2. This issue resides in the OS-KSADM/services and tenant APIs where the system fails to properly validate the X-Auth-Token header parameter. The flaw allows remote attackers to bypass authentication mechanisms and perform unauthorized operations on the Keystone service. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and token verification processes that should have enforced strict access controls for service management operations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when the Keystone service receives API requests containing X-Auth-Token headers without proper validation of the token's authenticity or authorization scope. This validation failure creates a path for attackers to manipulate API calls and gain access to user role information or perform service management operations such as creating, reading, or deleting arbitrary services within the OpenStack environment. The flaw operates at the application layer and affects the core identity and access management functionality of the cloud platform. According to CWE classification, this represents a weakness in authorization mechanisms where insufficient validation of authentication tokens leads to privilege escalation and unauthorized access to system resources.
The operational impact of CVE-2012-4456 is severe for OpenStack deployments as it fundamentally undermines the security model of the authentication service. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability to enumerate user roles across the system, potentially gaining insights into the organizational structure and access patterns of cloud users. The ability to create, read, or delete arbitrary services allows for service disruption, data manipulation, and potential lateral movement within the cloud infrastructure. This vulnerability directly affects the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the Keystone service, which serves as the central authentication point for all OpenStack components. The attack vector is remote and does not require authentication, making it particularly dangerous for cloud environments where multiple tenants operate.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability include immediate patching of affected OpenStack Keystone installations to versions 2012.1.2 or folsom-2 and later, which contain the necessary security fixes. Organizations should implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of Keystone services to untrusted networks. Regular security auditing of API endpoints and token validation mechanisms should be conducted to identify similar authorization flaws. The implementation of additional security layers such as API gateways with enhanced authentication validation can provide defense-in-depth. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to privilege escalation and credential access techniques where attackers exploit authorization weaknesses to gain unauthorized access to system resources. Organizations should also consider implementing monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous API access patterns and unauthorized service manipulation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and authentication token verification in cloud infrastructure components.