CVE-2013-6433 in openstack-neutron
Summary
by MITRE
The default configuration in the Red Hat openstack-neutron package before 2013.2.3-7 does not properly set a configuration file for rootwrap, which allows remote attackers to gain privileges via a crafted configuration file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/02/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2013-6433 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within the Red Hat openstack-neutron package ecosystem. This issue stems from improper configuration file handling within the rootwrap component, which serves as a security mechanism for executing privileged operations in OpenStack environments. The rootwrap utility is designed to provide controlled access to system commands while maintaining security boundaries, making its misconfiguration particularly dangerous in cloud infrastructure deployments. When the default configuration fails to properly set up the rootwrap configuration file, it creates an attack surface that remote adversaries can exploit to escalate their privileges within the system.
The technical flaw manifests in the inadequate initialization or missing configuration file for the rootwrap component, which typically resides in the /etc/neutron directory. This misconfiguration allows attackers to manipulate or inject malicious configuration entries that bypass normal privilege controls. The vulnerability specifically affects versions prior to 2013.2.3-7, indicating that the issue was present in the openstack-neutron package during the early adoption phases of OpenStack networking services. Attackers can leverage this weakness by crafting specially designed configuration files that, when processed by the rootwrap utility, grant them elevated privileges that should otherwise be restricted. This flaw directly violates the principle of least privilege and undermines the security model of the OpenStack networking component.
The operational impact of CVE-2013-6433 extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it can enable attackers to gain root access to systems running affected neutron packages. This access level provides complete control over the underlying infrastructure, potentially allowing unauthorized modifications to network configurations, data exfiltration, or establishment of persistent backdoors. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in cloud environments where neutron services manage network connectivity for multiple tenants, as a successful exploitation could compromise the entire network infrastructure. Organizations using OpenStack deployments with affected versions face significant risk of data breaches, service disruptions, and potential regulatory compliance violations due to the elevated privileges that can be obtained through this attack vector.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of the openstack-neutron package to version 2013.2.3-7 or later, which contains the corrected rootwrap configuration handling. System administrators should also implement comprehensive monitoring of configuration file changes and privilege escalation attempts within their OpenStack environments. The remediation process should include verification that all rootwrap configuration files are properly initialized with appropriate permissions and that the configuration directory structure adheres to security best practices. Additionally, organizations should conduct thorough security assessments of their OpenStack deployments to identify any other potential misconfigurations that could be exploited in similar ways, as this vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper privilege management in distributed cloud systems. This issue aligns with CWE-276, which addresses improper privileges, and represents a significant concern under the ATT&CK framework's privilege escalation techniques, specifically targeting the use of configuration flaws for unauthorized access.