CVE-2013-0208 in Folsom
Summary
by MITRE
The boot-from-volume feature in OpenStack Compute (Nova) Folsom and Essex, when using nova-volumes, allows remote authenticated users to boot from other users volumes via a volume id in the block_device_mapping parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/29/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-0208 represents a critical access control flaw within OpenStack Compute (Nova) versions Folsom and Essex that specifically impacts the boot-from-volume functionality. This issue arises when the nova-volumes service is utilized, creating a scenario where authenticated users can potentially access and boot virtual machines from storage volumes belonging to other users within the same cloud environment. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of volume ownership and access permissions during the block device mapping process, which is a fundamental component of how virtual machines are provisioned with storage resources. The flaw exists in the parameter handling mechanism where the block_device_mapping parameter fails to properly verify that the requesting user has legitimate authorization to access the specified volume identifier.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits the lack of proper authorization checks within the Nova service when processing volume attachment requests. When a user submits a request to boot a virtual machine from a volume, the system should validate that the requesting user owns or has appropriate permissions to access the target volume. However, the flawed implementation allows an authenticated user to specify any valid volume identifier in the block_device_mapping parameter, bypassing the normal access control mechanisms that would typically prevent cross-user volume access. This weakness creates a privilege escalation scenario where users can effectively impersonate other users by leveraging valid volume identifiers, potentially gaining access to sensitive data stored within those volumes. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the infrastructure level where data isolation between tenants is expected to be maintained.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized data access, potentially enabling a range of malicious activities including data exfiltration, system compromise, and denial of service attacks. An attacker could systematically enumerate valid volume identifiers and then use them to boot virtual machines from other users' volumes, effectively gaining access to confidential information stored in those volumes. This could result in significant data breaches within multi-tenant cloud environments where isolation between users is paramount for security. The vulnerability affects the fundamental security model of OpenStack deployments, undermining the trust model that cloud providers rely upon to ensure tenant isolation and data security. Organizations using affected Nova versions face potential compliance violations and regulatory consequences due to the breach of data protection requirements.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2013-0208 should focus on immediate patching of affected OpenStack Nova installations to address the authorization validation flaw. Organizations should implement comprehensive access control measures that enforce strict validation of volume ownership and permissions during block device mapping operations. The recommended approach includes updating to patched versions of Nova that properly validate user authorization for volume access, implementing additional logging and monitoring for volume access attempts, and configuring proper network segmentation to limit the exposure of volume identifiers. Security teams should also conduct thorough audits of existing volume access controls and implement principle of least privilege configurations for nova-volumes services. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1078 for Valid Accounts and T1566 for Phishing, as it enables unauthorized access through legitimate user credentials. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as volume encryption, mandatory access controls, and regular security assessments to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in cloud infrastructure components.