CVE-2012-6119 in Candlepin
Summary
by MITRE
Candlepin before 0.7.24, as used in Red Hat Subscription Asset Manager before 1.2.1, does not properly check manifest signatures, which allows local users to modify manifests.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/01/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-6119 resides within the Candlepin subsystem, a critical component of Red Hat's subscription management infrastructure that governs software licensing and asset tracking. This flaw affects versions prior to 0.7.24 of Candlepin and specifically impacts Red Hat Subscription Asset Manager versions before 1.2.1, creating a significant security gap in the software supply chain management process. The vulnerability stems from inadequate validation of digital signatures within subscription manifest files, which are essential documents containing licensing information and asset inventory data that organizations rely upon for compliance and audit purposes.
The core technical flaw involves the absence of proper manifest signature verification mechanisms within the Candlepin service. When subscription manifests are processed, the system should validate cryptographic signatures to ensure the integrity and authenticity of the data. However, due to this vulnerability, local users with access to the system can manipulate manifest files without detection, potentially inserting malicious content or altering existing licensing information. This weakness represents a direct violation of the principle of least privilege and undermines the fundamental security assumptions that organizations depend upon for their subscription management processes.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data integrity concerns to encompass potential compliance violations and security breaches. Local attackers who exploit this flaw can modify subscription manifests to grant unauthorized access to software licenses, potentially enabling them to bypass licensing controls and gain access to premium features or entire software suites. This capability directly threatens the commercial integrity of Red Hat's subscription model and could result in significant financial losses for both Red Hat and its enterprise customers. The vulnerability also creates opportunities for attackers to manipulate audit trails and compliance documentation, complicating regulatory compliance efforts and potentially exposing organizations to legal and financial penalties.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-347, which addresses improper verification of cryptographic signatures, and represents a classic case of insufficient input validation that allows privilege escalation through data manipulation. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this issue under privilege escalation techniques, specifically leveraging local access to manipulate system configuration data. Organizations utilizing affected versions should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to Candlepin 0.7.24 or later and Subscription Asset Manager 1.2.1 or newer, implementing additional access controls, and establishing monitoring procedures to detect unauthorized manifest modifications. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of proper cryptographic implementation and signature validation in enterprise software systems, particularly those handling sensitive licensing and compliance data.