CVE-2014-0136 in CloudForms 3.0 Management Engine
Summary
by MITRE
The (1) get and (2) log methods in the AgentController in Red Hat CloudForms 3.0 Management Engine (CFME) 5.x allow remote attackers to insert arbitrary text into log files via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/03/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-0136 resides within the Red Hat CloudForms 3.0 Management Engine version 5.x, specifically affecting the AgentController component. This issue represents a critical security flaw that enables remote attackers to manipulate log file contents through unspecified injection vectors. The vulnerability impacts both the get and log methods within the AgentController, creating a potential pathway for malicious actors to compromise system integrity and audit trails. The affected system operates within enterprise cloud management environments where maintaining accurate and tamper-proof logs is essential for security monitoring and compliance requirements.
The technical flaw manifests as a lack of proper input validation and sanitization within the AgentController's logging mechanisms. When remote attackers exploit this vulnerability, they can inject arbitrary text into log files through the get and log methods, potentially allowing them to insert malicious content, manipulate audit records, or obscure legitimate system activities. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-77: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in a Command, which specifically addresses the improper handling of special characters that could be used to inject commands or manipulate system outputs. The unspecified vectors suggest that attackers may leverage various injection techniques including but not limited to command injection, cross-site scripting, or simple string manipulation approaches that bypass input filtering mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple log manipulation, as it fundamentally undermines the integrity of system logging mechanisms that are critical for security operations. Compromised log files can mislead security analysts during incident response, hide malicious activities, or provide attackers with false information that complicates forensic investigations. In enterprise environments where CloudForms is deployed, this vulnerability could enable attackers to establish persistence by creating false entries in system logs, making it difficult to detect actual security breaches. The vulnerability also impacts compliance requirements, as audit trails become unreliable and potentially unusable for regulatory compliance purposes. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1070.002: Indicator Removal on Host, which focuses on removing or modifying system logs to evade detection.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-0136 should prioritize immediate patching of affected CloudForms versions, as Red Hat would have released security updates addressing this specific vulnerability. Organizations should implement strict input validation and sanitization measures within all logging components, ensuring that all user-supplied data is properly escaped before being written to log files. Network segmentation and access controls should be strengthened to limit exposure of the AgentController to untrusted networks. Regular log file integrity monitoring should be implemented to detect unauthorized modifications, and organizations should consider deploying additional logging solutions that provide tamper-evident capabilities. Security teams should also conduct thorough reviews of existing log files to identify any potential compromise and establish incident response procedures specifically designed to handle log manipulation attacks. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of secure logging practices and proper input validation in enterprise management systems, particularly those handling sensitive operational data and supporting critical infrastructure components.