CVE-2013-4480 in Network Satellite
Summary
by MITRE
Red Hat Satellite 5.6 and earlier does not disable the web interface that is used to create the first user for a satellite, which allows remote attackers to create administrator accounts.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/10/2022
The vulnerability described in CVE-2013-4480 represents a critical security flaw in Red Hat Satellite versions 5.6 and earlier, specifically targeting the web interface initialization process. This issue stems from improper configuration where the web interface used to establish the first administrative user remains accessible to remote attackers throughout the system deployment lifecycle. The flaw fundamentally violates secure configuration principles by failing to properly restrict access to the initial setup interface, creating an attack vector that can be exploited immediately upon system deployment without requiring any authentication credentials or prior access.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the web application's failure to disable or properly secure the initial user creation endpoint after the first administrator account has been established. This allows remote attackers to exploit the interface and create additional administrator accounts, effectively granting them full administrative privileges over the satellite system. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-284 which specifically addresses improper access control, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for credential harvesting. The flaw essentially creates a backdoor mechanism that bypasses normal authentication procedures and provides unauthorized users with immediate elevated privileges.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability enables remote attackers to achieve complete system compromise without requiring any prior credentials or exploitation of other vulnerabilities. The attack can be executed from any location with network access to the satellite server, making it particularly dangerous for systems exposed to public networks. Once exploited, attackers can perform any administrative function including modifying system configurations, accessing sensitive data, installing malicious software, and creating persistent access mechanisms. This vulnerability essentially eliminates the security boundary that should exist between initial system setup and operational use, allowing attackers to escalate privileges immediately upon system deployment.
The mitigation strategies for this vulnerability involve implementing proper access control measures through configuration management and network segmentation. Organizations should ensure that the initial setup interface is properly disabled or secured after the first administrative user is created, following secure configuration guidelines from NIST SP 800-53 and CIS benchmarks. Network-level controls such as firewall rules should restrict access to the satellite web interface to trusted administrative networks only, while implementing proper authentication and authorization mechanisms. Additionally, regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify and remediate similar configuration issues across the infrastructure. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper secure-by-default configurations and demonstrates how seemingly simple misconfigurations can result in complete system compromise, emphasizing the need for comprehensive security testing throughout the system lifecycle.