CVE-2012-6115 in Enterprise Virtualization Manager
Summary
by MITRE
The domain management tool (rhevm-manage-domains) in Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager (RHEV-M) 3.1 and earlier, when the validate action is enabled, logs the administrative password to a world-readable log file, which allows local users to obtain sensitive information by reading this file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/26/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-6115 affects Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager version 3.1 and earlier, specifically within the domain management tool known as rhevm-manage-domains. This security flaw resides in the tool's handling of administrative credentials during the validate action process, creating a significant information disclosure risk that impacts the overall security posture of virtualized environments managed by RHEV-M.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper credential handling within the domain management tool where administrative passwords are written to log files without adequate access controls. When the validate action is enabled, the tool logs these sensitive credentials to files that are world-readable, meaning any local user on the system can access these log files and extract the administrative passwords. This represents a classic case of insecure logging practices where sensitive information is stored in plaintext within files that lack proper permission restrictions. The flaw directly aligns with CWE-312, which addresses the exposure of sensitive information through improper logging, and demonstrates how inadequate file permission management can lead to credential compromise.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft, as it provides local attackers with elevated privileges within the virtualization management environment. Once an attacker obtains the administrative password through reading the world-readable log files, they gain full control over the RHEV-M domain management functionality, potentially allowing them to modify domain configurations, create or delete virtual machines, access sensitive data, and compromise the entire virtualized infrastructure. This vulnerability particularly affects environments where multiple users share the same physical or virtual machine, as any user with local access can exploit this weakness. The risk is exacerbated in cloud or shared hosting environments where local privilege escalation opportunities are more prevalent, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in multi-tenant deployments.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2012-6115 should focus on immediate remediation through patching the RHEV-M software to version 3.2 or later, where the vulnerability has been addressed. Organizations should also implement immediate file permission corrections to ensure that log files containing sensitive information are not world-readable, typically requiring chmod 600 or similar restrictive permissions. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unauthorized access attempts to sensitive log files, and organizations should consider implementing centralized logging solutions with proper access controls to prevent local credential exposure. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of following the principle of least privilege and proper information classification practices, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1566 for credential access through unsecured files and T1078 for valid accounts used for persistence and privilege escalation. Additionally, regular security audits of log file permissions and access controls should be conducted to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in other components of the virtualization management infrastructure.