CVE-2012-5622 in openshift
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the management console (openshift-console/app/controllers/application_controller.rb) in OpenShift 0.0.5 allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of arbitrary users via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/21/2021
The CVE-2012-5622 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw discovered in the OpenShift management console version 0.0.5. This vulnerability resides within the application_controller.rb file and specifically affects the openshift-console component that serves as the primary administrative interface for OpenShift platform users. The flaw enables remote attackers to exploit the authentication system by crafting malicious requests that can be executed without the knowledge or consent of authenticated users. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple data manipulation as it fundamentally compromises the authentication integrity of the platform, allowing unauthorized access to administrative functions and user resources.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of proper anti-CSRF mechanisms within the OpenShift management console's authentication flow. When users authenticate to the console, their session tokens are typically validated through session cookies or token-based authentication systems. However, the application fails to implement sufficient CSRF protection measures such as synchronizer tokens, origin validation, or referer header checks. This omission creates a scenario where an attacker can construct malicious web pages or email attachments that, when visited by an authenticated user, automatically submit requests to the OpenShift console with the user's existing authentication context. The vulnerability operates through the exploitation of the browser's automatic credential handling mechanisms, where cookies are automatically included with requests to the same origin, enabling the attacker to perform actions as if they were the legitimate user.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted within the OpenShift ecosystem. Attackers leveraging this CSRF flaw can potentially perform administrative actions such as creating new user accounts, modifying existing user permissions, accessing sensitive application data, or even deleting critical resources without proper authorization. The vulnerability's remote nature means that attackers do not require physical access to the system or direct network connections to exploit it, making it particularly dangerous for cloud-based platform deployments. Organizations using OpenShift 0.0.5 may experience unauthorized access to their containerized applications, data breaches, service disruptions, and potential compromise of the entire platform infrastructure. The vulnerability also creates a persistent threat vector that can be exploited repeatedly, as long as the target user maintains an active session with the console.
Security practitioners should implement multiple layers of mitigation strategies to address this CSRF vulnerability in OpenShift environments. The primary remediation involves implementing robust anti-CSRF token mechanisms that generate unique tokens for each user session and validate these tokens with every state-changing request. The implementation should follow established security standards and best practices aligned with CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery vulnerabilities. Organizations should also consider implementing Content Security Policy headers to limit the sources from which scripts can be loaded, thereby reducing the effectiveness of potential CSRF attack vectors. Additionally, the platform should enforce strict referer header validation and implement proper session management controls that automatically invalidate sessions after periods of inactivity or upon logout. These measures align with ATT&CK technique T1531 for privilege escalation and T1078 for valid accounts, as they address the exploitation of legitimate user credentials through automated attack methods.
The broader implications of this vulnerability extend beyond the immediate technical flaw to encompass organizational security practices and incident response procedures. Security teams must conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments of their OpenShift deployments to identify similar CSRF weaknesses in other components and applications. Regular security audits should be implemented to ensure that authentication mechanisms remain robust against evolving attack techniques. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of timely patch management and software updates, as newer versions of OpenShift would have addressed this specific flaw through improved CSRF protection mechanisms. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit the potential impact of successful CSRF attacks, reducing the attack surface and preventing lateral movement within the platform. This vulnerability serves as a critical reminder of the importance of implementing comprehensive security controls throughout the application lifecycle, particularly in management interfaces that handle sensitive administrative functions.