CVE-2014-3045 in Scale Out Network Attached Storage
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Scale Out Network Attached Storage (SONAS) 1.3.x and 1.4.x before 1.4.3.3 places an administrative password in the shell history upon use of the -p option to chuser, which allows local users to obtain sensitive information by leveraging root access.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/26/2015
IBM Scale Out Network Attached Storage SONAS versions 1.3.x and 1.4.x before 1.4.3.3 contain a critical information disclosure vulnerability through improper handling of administrative credentials during user management operations. The flaw exists in the chuser command implementation where the -p option explicitly writes administrative passwords to shell history files, creating a persistent exposure of sensitive authentication credentials. This vulnerability represents a classic case of insecure credential handling and poor input sanitization practices that directly violates security best practices for privileged operations. The technical implementation flaw stems from the command line utility not properly clearing or sanitizing password inputs before executing shell commands, allowing the password to be stored in plaintext within the user's shell history file. This vulnerability falls under CWE-256, which addresses the improper handling of credentials and the storage of sensitive information in insecure locations. The operational impact is severe as local users who gain access to the shell history files can easily retrieve administrative passwords through simple file examination commands, effectively providing them with root-level access to the storage system. This creates a significant attack surface where privilege escalation becomes trivial for attackers who can leverage existing shell history access. The vulnerability directly enables techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under T1003, specifically credential access through the exploitation of stored credentials, and T1068, which covers local privilege escalation through the manipulation of system resources. The security implications extend beyond immediate credential theft as these administrative passwords may be reused across multiple systems or applications, creating cascading security risks throughout the network infrastructure. Organizations running affected SONAS versions face heightened risk of unauthorized access to critical storage resources, potentially leading to data breaches, system compromise, and complete loss of storage system integrity. The vulnerability demonstrates a fundamental failure in secure coding practices where command-line utilities do not properly implement secure credential handling mechanisms. This flaw exemplifies the importance of proper input validation and secure data handling in privileged system operations, as the system should never store sensitive information in easily accessible locations such as shell history files. The remediation process requires immediate patching to version 1.4.3.3 or later, which addresses the insecure storage of administrative passwords by implementing proper input sanitization and preventing password exposure in shell history files. Security administrators should also implement comprehensive monitoring of shell history files and establish regular audits to detect any unauthorized access to credential information. Additionally, organizations should enforce strict access controls and privilege separation to minimize the impact of such vulnerabilities, ensuring that administrative credentials are never exposed through insecure storage mechanisms. The vulnerability serves as a critical reminder of the importance of secure coding practices and the necessity of following established security frameworks and standards to prevent such information disclosure incidents in enterprise storage systems.