CVE-2012-5625 in Grizzly
Summary
by MITRE
OpenStack Compute (Nova) Folsom before 2012.2.2 and Grizzly, when using libvirt and LVM backed instances, does not properly clear physical volume (PV) content when reallocating for instances, which allows attackers to obtain sensitive information by reading the memory of the previous logical volume (LV).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/21/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-5625 affects OpenStack Compute (Nova) versions prior to 2012.2.2 and Grizzly releases when utilizing libvirt hypervisor with LVM-backed virtual machine instances. This security flaw represents a critical information disclosure vulnerability that stems from improper handling of storage allocation during instance reallocation processes. The issue specifically manifests when Nova reassigns storage resources to new virtual machines, failing to adequately sanitize the underlying physical volume content that previously housed other logical volumes.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the insufficient data sanitization mechanisms employed during storage reallocation operations within the Nova compute service. When virtual machines are terminated or migrated, the corresponding logical volumes are deallocated and the physical volumes are reallocated to new instances. However, the system does not properly clear or overwrite the physical volume content, leaving remnants of data from previously used logical volumes accessible to subsequent instances. This occurs because the storage management layer fails to implement proper cryptographic erasure or secure deletion protocols when reusing physical storage resources.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates a significant risk for cloud environments where multiple tenants share the same physical infrastructure. Attackers who gain access to a new instance or can execute code within the hypervisor environment can potentially read the memory content of previous logical volumes, thereby accessing sensitive information that was previously stored on those volumes. This includes but is not limited to confidential data, credentials, cryptographic keys, or other sensitive information that may have been processed by the previous virtual machines. The impact extends beyond simple data exposure as this vulnerability can enable privilege escalation attacks and facilitate lateral movement within cloud environments.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-316, which addresses "Credentials in Memory" and CWE-310, "Cryptographic Issues", as it involves exposure of sensitive data through improper memory handling and storage sanitization. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1005 "Data from Local System" and T1041 "Exfiltration Over C2 Channel" as attackers can potentially extract data through compromised instances. The attack surface is particularly concerning in multi-tenant cloud deployments where isolation between instances is paramount. Organizations using OpenStack Nova with libvirt and LVM storage backends are at risk, especially those handling sensitive workloads or operating in regulated environments where data protection is mandatory.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability include immediate upgrading to OpenStack Nova versions 2012.2.2 or later, which contain the necessary patches to properly clear physical volume content during reallocation. System administrators should also implement additional monitoring and logging to detect unauthorized access attempts to storage resources. The recommended approach involves configuring proper storage sanitization procedures and ensuring that all storage reallocation processes include cryptographic erasure or secure deletion protocols. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit potential exploitation vectors, while maintaining regular security assessments to identify and remediate similar storage-related vulnerabilities in their cloud infrastructure deployments.