CVE-2014-3573 in Enterprise Virtualization Manager
Summary
by MITRE
The oVirt Engine backend module, as used in Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager before 3.4.2, uses an "insecure DocumentBuilderFactory," which allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files or possibly have other unspecified impact via a crafted XML/RSDL document, related to an XML External Entity (XXE) issue.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/30/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-3573 represents a critical XML External Entity processing flaw within the oVirt Engine backend module, specifically affecting Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager versions prior to 3.4.2. This issue stems from the use of an insecure DocumentBuilderFactory implementation that fails to properly restrict external entity resolution during XML parsing operations. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-611, which specifically addresses Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference, making it a direct instance of XML External Entity processing weaknesses that have been widely exploited in enterprise environments.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through crafted XML/RSDL documents that contain malicious external entity declarations. When the vulnerable oVirt Engine processes these documents, the insecure DocumentBuilderFactory automatically resolves external entity references without proper validation, allowing remote attackers to craft XML payloads that can access local files on the server hosting the oVirt Engine. This XXE vulnerability enables attackers to potentially read sensitive configuration files, authentication credentials, or other confidential data stored on the system. The impact extends beyond simple file reading, as the vulnerability may also permit other unspecified effects that could compromise the integrity and confidentiality of the virtualization infrastructure.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to enterprise virtualization environments where oVirt Engine serves as the central management platform. Attackers could leverage this weakness to gain unauthorized access to virtual machine configurations, hypervisor settings, and potentially escalate privileges within the virtualized environment. The vulnerability's remote nature means that attackers do not require local access to the system, making it particularly dangerous for cloud and data center deployments. The impact aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566, which covers the exploitation of remote services through XML external entity processing, and T1078, which addresses legitimate credentials usage for persistence and privilege escalation.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to oVirt Engine version 3.4.2 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for the insecure DocumentBuilderFactory implementation. Additional protective measures include configuring XML parsers to disable external entity resolution entirely, implementing network segmentation to limit access to the oVirt Engine management interface, and deploying web application firewalls to filter malicious XML content. Security monitoring should focus on detecting unusual XML processing patterns and unauthorized file access attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of secure coding practices in enterprise software development and highlights the need for regular security assessments of XML processing components within virtualization platforms.