CVE-2014-3692 in CloudForms 3.1 Management Engine
Summary
by MITRE
The customization template in Red Hat CloudForms 3.1 Management Engine (CFME) 5.3 uses a default password for the root account when a password is not specified for a new image, which allows remote attackers to gain privileges.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/15/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2014-3692 represents a critical security flaw within Red Hat CloudForms 3.1 Management Engine version 5.3 that stems from improper credential management during image creation processes. This issue specifically affects the customization template functionality that generates new virtual machine images, where the system fails to properly enforce password requirements for the root account. The flaw manifests when administrators fail to specify a password during the image creation workflow, resulting in the system automatically assigning a default password that remains unchanged and predictable.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the customization template mechanism within CFME's management engine that handles virtual machine provisioning and image generation. When a new image is created without explicit root password configuration, the system defaults to a hardcoded credential that remains static across deployments. This default password configuration creates a persistent backdoor that remote attackers can exploit to gain unauthorized administrative access to the affected systems. The vulnerability directly violates security principles of least privilege and proper authentication enforcement, as it provides a known credential that bypasses normal access controls and authentication mechanisms.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to organizations deploying Red Hat CloudForms 3.1 Management Engine, as it enables remote privilege escalation attacks without requiring any specialized exploitation techniques or advanced knowledge of the system architecture. Attackers can leverage this flaw to gain full administrative control over affected virtual machines, potentially leading to data breaches, system compromise, and unauthorized access to sensitive organizational resources. The impact extends beyond individual compromised systems to potentially affect entire virtualized infrastructures where multiple instances may share the same default credential. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-798, which specifically addresses the use of hard-coded credentials, and represents a classic example of insecure credential storage and management practices.
The attack surface for this vulnerability is particularly concerning as it can be exploited remotely without requiring any prior authentication or system access, making it highly attractive to threat actors seeking persistent access to cloud environments. The default password mechanism creates a universal entry point that remains active across all affected installations, regardless of network segmentation or other security controls. Organizations utilizing CFME 5.3 are particularly vulnerable if they have not implemented proper credential management policies or if administrators routinely create images without specifying root passwords. This vulnerability also maps to ATT&CK technique T1078.004, which covers legitimate credentials used for unauthorized access, as attackers can leverage the default credential to establish persistent access to systems.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-3692 require immediate implementation of proper credential management practices within the CFME environment. Organizations should enforce mandatory password requirements during image creation workflows, implement automated credential generation for new images, and establish regular credential rotation policies. System administrators must ensure that all new virtual machine images include unique, randomly generated root passwords rather than relying on default configurations. The implementation of centralized credential management systems and regular security audits can help identify and remediate instances where default credentials remain in use. Additionally, network segmentation and access control measures should be implemented to limit the potential impact of credential compromise, while monitoring systems should be configured to detect and alert on unauthorized access attempts using default credentials. Regular updates and patches to CFME should be applied to address this vulnerability, as Red Hat has likely provided remediation measures to prevent the use of default passwords in image customization processes.