CVE-2013-4561 in Origin Server
Summary
by MITRE • 06/30/2022
In a openshift node, there is a cron job to update mcollective facts that mishandles a temporary file. This may lead to loss of confidentiality and integrity.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/17/2022
The vulnerability described in CVE-2013-4561 resides within the OpenShift container platform's node component where a cron job responsible for updating mcollective facts contains a flaw in temporary file handling. This issue represents a classic race condition vulnerability that allows unauthorized users to manipulate system resources and potentially gain elevated privileges. The flaw occurs when the cron job creates temporary files without proper security controls, making them susceptible to manipulation by malicious actors who can replace legitimate files with malicious counterparts. The vulnerability falls under the category of improper file handling and privilege escalation, with potential implications for data confidentiality and system integrity.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a cron job that executes with elevated privileges to update mcollective facts within the OpenShift node environment. When this job creates temporary files, it fails to properly secure these files against modification by unprivileged users. This insecure temporary file creation pattern allows attackers to substitute the legitimate temporary file with a malicious one, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution or data manipulation. The flaw is particularly dangerous in containerized environments where privilege separation is crucial for maintaining security boundaries. This type of vulnerability is categorized as CWE-377: Insecure Temporary File and falls under the ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for execution through scheduled tasks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data integrity concerns to encompass potential privilege escalation and persistent access within the OpenShift environment. An attacker who successfully exploits this flaw could manipulate the mcollective facts database, potentially altering system configuration information that is critical for orchestration and management purposes. The loss of confidentiality occurs when sensitive system information becomes accessible to unauthorized users through the manipulated temporary files, while integrity is compromised as the attacker can modify the facts database to reflect false system states. This vulnerability affects the overall security posture of OpenShift deployments by creating a potential entry point for attackers to establish persistence and escalate privileges within the container orchestration platform.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2013-4561 should focus on implementing secure temporary file handling practices within the affected cron job. System administrators should ensure that temporary files are created with proper permissions and are located in secure directories that prevent unauthorized modification. The recommended approach includes using secure temporary file creation functions that automatically set appropriate permissions and avoid predictable file names. Additionally, privilege separation should be enforced by running the cron job with minimal required privileges rather than elevated permissions. The OpenShift platform should be updated to versions that address this specific vulnerability, and security monitoring should be implemented to detect unusual temporary file creation patterns or unauthorized modifications to system facts databases. Organizations should also consider implementing file integrity monitoring solutions that can detect and alert on unauthorized changes to critical system components. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of secure coding practices in automated system maintenance tasks and highlights the need for comprehensive security testing of scheduled operations within containerized environments.