CVE-2014-0104 in fence-agents
Summary
by MITRE
In fence-agents before 4.0.17 does not verify remote SSL certificates in the fence_cisco_ucs.py script which can potentially allow for man-in-the-middle attackers to spoof SSL servers via arbitrary SSL certificates.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/21/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-0104 affects fence-agents versions prior to 4.0.17 and specifically targets the fence_cisco_ucs.py script within the fencing agent framework. This issue represents a critical security flaw that undermines the integrity of secure communications between fencing agents and Cisco UCS (Unified Computing System) infrastructure. The vulnerability stems from the absence of proper SSL certificate verification mechanisms within the script, creating a significant attack surface that can be exploited by malicious actors seeking to compromise system security.
The technical flaw manifests in the failure of the fence_cisco_ucs.py script to validate SSL certificates presented by remote servers during secure communication establishment. This omission allows attackers to perform man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting arbitrary SSL certificates that appear legitimate to the fencing agent. The vulnerability directly relates to CWE-295, which addresses improper certificate validation in secure communications, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.004 for application layer protocol: DNS, though in this case it specifically involves SSL/TLS protocol weaknesses. The lack of certificate validation means that the fencing agent will accept any certificate presented by an attacker-controlled server, effectively bypassing the security assurances typically provided by SSL/TLS encryption.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial as it can lead to complete compromise of the fencing infrastructure and potentially the broader network environment. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can gain unauthorized access to Cisco UCS management interfaces, potentially leading to system takeover, data exfiltration, or disruption of critical infrastructure services. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where fencing agents are used to manage power states of critical servers, as it could enable attackers to remotely power off or restart systems without proper authorization. This capability directly violates security principles of authentication and authorization, as the system fails to verify the identity of remote servers before establishing secure communication channels.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate remediation through patching to fence-agents version 4.0.17 or later, which addresses the SSL certificate verification issue. Organizations should also implement additional network security controls such as certificate pinning where possible, and establish monitoring for unauthorized certificate changes or suspicious communication patterns. Security teams should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all instances of the affected fence-agents script across their infrastructure and ensure proper certificate validation mechanisms are in place. The remediation process should include verification that SSL certificate validation is properly enforced and that no custom configurations have disabled these security features, as outlined in security frameworks such as NIST SP 800-53 control CM-7 for configuration management and security controls.