CVE-2014-3521 in Conga
Summary
by MITRE
The component in (1) /luci/homebase and (2) /luci/cluster menu in Red Hat Conga 0.12.2 allows remote authenticated users to bypass intended access restrictions via a crafted URL.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/29/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-3521 affects Red Hat Conga version 0.12.2 and represents a significant authorization bypass flaw within the Luci web interface components. This issue manifests in two specific areas of the application's menu structure, namely the /luci/homebase and /luci/cluster menu paths, where authenticated users can exploit a crafted URL to gain unauthorized access to restricted functionality. The vulnerability stems from improper access control validation mechanisms that fail to adequately verify user permissions before granting access to sensitive administrative resources.
The technical implementation of this flaw involves the application's failure to properly enforce access control checks on specific URL endpoints within the Luci interface. When authenticated users navigate to the affected paths with specially crafted URLs, the system does not perform the necessary permission validation that should occur before allowing access to cluster management functions. This allows malicious users to potentially access resources they should not be authorized to reach, effectively circumventing the intended security boundaries of the application's access control model. The vulnerability specifically targets the authorization mechanisms within the Red Hat Conga management interface, which is designed to provide cluster management capabilities for Red Hat Enterprise Linux environments.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access to potentially compromise entire cluster management operations. An attacker who successfully exploits this flaw could gain access to sensitive cluster configuration data, perform administrative actions on managed systems, and potentially escalate privileges within the cluster environment. This represents a critical security weakness that undermines the fundamental security model of the Red Hat Conga management interface, as it allows authenticated users to bypass intended access restrictions without requiring additional credentials or elevated privileges. The vulnerability could enable attackers to manipulate cluster configurations, access confidential information, or disrupt cluster operations.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper access control validation mechanisms throughout the Luci interface components. Organizations should ensure that all URL endpoints within the application perform adequate permission checks before granting access to sensitive functionality. The fix typically involves strengthening the authorization logic to validate user permissions against specific roles and privileges for each menu item and function call. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization issues in software applications, and could be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and privilege escalation. Organizations should apply the vendor-provided patches immediately and implement additional monitoring to detect unauthorized access attempts to cluster management interfaces, as this type of vulnerability represents a common attack vector for lateral movement within enterprise environments where cluster management systems are deployed.