CVE-2013-2255 in OpenStack Keystone
Summary
by MITRE
HTTPSConnections in OpenStack Keystone 2013, OpenStack Compute 2013.1, and possibly other OpenStack components, fail to validate server-side SSL certificates.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/01/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-2255 represents a critical security flaw in OpenStack components that directly impacts the integrity of secure communications within cloud environments. This issue affects multiple OpenStack services including Keystone 2013 and Compute 2013.1, creating potential attack vectors that could compromise the confidentiality and authenticity of data transmitted between cloud components. The vulnerability stems from improper SSL certificate validation mechanisms that leave systems susceptible to man-in-the-middle attacks and unauthorized access to sensitive cloud infrastructure communications.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the failure of HTTPS connection implementations to properly validate server certificates during SSL handshakes. This flaw creates a scenario where client applications can establish secure connections without verifying the authenticity of the server they are communicating with, effectively disabling the cryptographic security mechanisms that SSL/TLS protocols are designed to provide. The vulnerability maps directly to CWE-295 which specifically addresses "Improper Certificate Validation" and represents a significant deviation from secure coding practices that should enforce certificate chain validation and hostname verification. When SSL certificates are not properly validated, attackers can intercept communications by presenting fraudulent certificates that appear legitimate to unvalidated clients.
The operational impact of CVE-2013-2255 extends beyond simple data interception, as it fundamentally undermines the trust model that cloud infrastructure relies upon for secure multi-tenant operations. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability could potentially gain access to authentication tokens, user credentials, and sensitive system information transmitted between OpenStack components. This weakness enables credential harvesting attacks where malicious actors could capture authentication data used by Keystone for identity management, potentially leading to full system compromise. The vulnerability also creates opportunities for privilege escalation attacks where attackers might manipulate communications between compute nodes and management services to gain unauthorized access to cloud resources. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability aligns with T1566 (Phishing) and T1046 (Network Service Scanning) techniques that could be leveraged to establish persistent access to cloud environments.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2013-2255 require immediate implementation of certificate validation enforcement across all OpenStack components that utilize HTTPS communications. Organizations should ensure that all SSL/TLS connections implement proper certificate chain validation including hostname verification and certificate expiration checks. The recommended approach involves updating affected OpenStack versions to patched releases that enforce certificate validation, implementing certificate pinning where appropriate, and establishing robust certificate management processes. Security teams should also deploy network monitoring solutions to detect anomalous SSL handshake patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, implementing proper certificate lifecycle management including automated certificate renewal processes and regular security audits of SSL configurations will help prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in the future. The remediation process must also include comprehensive testing of SSL configurations to ensure that certificate validation is properly enforced without disrupting legitimate system operations.