CVE-2014-3561 in Enterprise Virtualization
Summary
by MITRE
The rhevm-log-collector package in Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization 3.4 uses the PostgreSQL database password on the command line when calling sosreport, which allows local users to obtain sensitive information by listing the processes.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/07/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-3561 affects the rhevm-log-collector package in Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization version 3.4, presenting a critical security risk through improper handling of database credentials. This flaw manifests when the package executes sosreport commands with PostgreSQL database passwords directly embedded in command line arguments rather than utilizing secure credential management practices. The vulnerability stems from a fundamental design oversight in how authentication credentials are passed to external utilities, creating an exploitable condition that violates established security principles for credential handling.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs through command line argument injection where the PostgreSQL password becomes visible in process lists accessible to local users. When rhevm-log-collector invokes sosreport, it passes the database password as a command line parameter, making it trivial for any local user to enumerate running processes and extract the password from the process arguments. This practice directly contravenes security best practices outlined in CWE-255, which addresses credential management issues, and represents a classic example of insecure command line argument handling. The flaw operates at the system level where process enumeration tools like ps or /proc filesystem can expose these arguments to unauthorized local users, creating an information disclosure vulnerability that enables privilege escalation and credential compromise.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it provides attackers with database credentials that can be leveraged for further system compromise. Local users who can enumerate processes gain access to authentication tokens that may be used to establish database connections, potentially enabling data exfiltration, modification of virtualization infrastructure configurations, or access to sensitive virtual machine information. The vulnerability affects the entire Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization ecosystem, particularly impacting organizations that rely on centralized logging and monitoring capabilities. This weakness creates a persistent threat vector that can be exploited by any user with local system access, making it particularly dangerous in multi-tenant environments or shared computing scenarios where privilege separation is crucial for maintaining security boundaries.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-3561 require immediate remediation through patching the affected rhevm-log-collector package to implement secure credential handling practices. Organizations should implement proper credential management by utilizing configuration files with restricted permissions, environment variables, or dedicated credential storage mechanisms instead of command line arguments. The solution should align with ATT&CK technique T1552, which focuses on credential access and emphasizes the importance of protecting credentials from exposure in process lists or command line arguments. System administrators must also implement process monitoring to detect suspicious command line usage patterns and ensure that all credential handling follows established security frameworks such as those defined in NIST SP 800-53 for secure credential management. Regular security audits should verify that no sensitive information is passed through command line arguments and that all system components properly implement secure authentication practices to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in the future.