CVE-2014-0748 in Linux Environment
Summary
by MITRE
apinit on Cray devices with CLE before 4.2.UP02 and 5.x before 5.1.UP00 does not use alpsauth data to validate the UID in a launch message, which allows local users to gain privileges via a modified aprun program, aka ID FN5912.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/15/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-0748 affects Cray Computing Environment (CLE) systems running versions prior to 4.2.UP02 and 5.x before 5.1.UP00. This issue resides within the apinit component which serves as a critical initialization service for Cray's Advanced Platform for Linux (ALPS) computing infrastructure. The flaw represents a significant security weakness that undermines the integrity of the system's privilege management mechanisms, particularly concerning user authentication and authorization processes.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from the apinit service's failure to properly validate user identifiers within launch messages. Specifically, the system does not utilize alpsauth data to verify the user ID (UID) when processing aprun programs, which are used to launch parallel applications on Cray systems. This omission creates a path where local attackers can manipulate launch messages by crafting modified aprun programs that contain forged UID information, thereby bypassing the normal authentication checks that should prevent unauthorized privilege escalation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe within high-performance computing environments where Cray systems are deployed. Local users who can execute programs on the system gain the ability to escalate their privileges without proper authentication, potentially allowing them to execute arbitrary code with elevated permissions. This weakness is particularly dangerous in research and scientific computing environments where multiple users share computational resources and where the compromise of one user's account could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data or system resources. The vulnerability specifically enables privilege escalation from regular user level to potentially root privileges, undermining the fundamental security model of these high-performance computing platforms.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-0748 should prioritize immediate system updates to the affected CLE versions, specifically upgrading to CLE 4.2.UP02 or CLE 5.1.UP00 where the issue has been addressed. System administrators should also implement additional monitoring of aprun and apinit processes to detect anomalous behavior patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 Access Control flaws, specifically concerning improper privilege management, and represents a technique that could be categorized under ATT&CK tactic T1068 Privilege Escalation through the use of local programs to bypass authentication mechanisms. Organizations should also consider implementing mandatory access controls and enhanced logging of user activities related to parallel computing jobs to detect potential exploitation attempts and maintain audit trails for forensic analysis.