CVE-2014-3706 in ovirt-engine
Summary
by MITRE
ovirt-engine, as used in Red Hat MRG 3, allows man-in-the-middle attackers to spoof servers by leveraging failure to verify key attributes in vdsm X.509 certificates.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/25/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-3706 affects the ovirt-engine component within Red Hat MRG 3, presenting a significant security risk through improper certificate validation mechanisms. This flaw specifically targets the verification process of X.509 certificates used in the vdsm communication protocol, creating opportunities for malicious actors to establish fraudulent server connections. The issue stems from insufficient validation of critical certificate attributes that should normally be verified during the secure communication establishment process. Organizations utilizing this infrastructure face potential exposure to unauthorized access and data interception attacks when attackers exploit this weakness to impersonate legitimate servers within the virtualization environment.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the certificate validation logic within the ovirt-engine's security framework. When establishing secure connections between virtualization components, the system fails to properly validate essential X.509 certificate attributes such as subject names, issuer information, and certificate chain validation. This incomplete verification process allows attackers to craft malicious certificates that appear legitimate to the system's validation routines. The flaw essentially creates a trust boundary breach where the system cannot distinguish between authentic and forged certificates, enabling man-in-the-middle attack scenarios. According to CWE classification, this represents a weakness in certificate validation (CWE-295) that directly impacts the integrity of the authentication process.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple network monitoring, as it fundamentally compromises the security posture of virtualized environments. Attackers can exploit this weakness to intercept communications between virtualization components, potentially gaining access to sensitive configuration data, virtual machine management commands, and other privileged information. The attack vector specifically targets the vdsm (Virtual Desktop and Server Management) X.509 certificate validation process, which is critical for maintaining secure communication within the Red Hat MRG 3 infrastructure. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1552.001 (Credentials in Files) and T1046 (Network Service Scanning) as attackers can leverage the compromised trust model to establish persistent access points within the virtualization infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-3706 require immediate implementation of certificate validation enhancements and comprehensive system updates. Organizations should prioritize applying the vendor-provided security patches that address the certificate verification logic deficiencies in the ovirt-engine component. Additionally, implementing stricter certificate validation policies that enforce complete X.509 attribute verification can help prevent exploitation of this vulnerability. Network segmentation and monitoring solutions should be deployed to detect anomalous certificate validation behaviors and unauthorized certificate installations. Security teams must also conduct thorough certificate lifecycle management reviews to ensure that all components within the virtualization infrastructure maintain proper certificate validation mechanisms. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing of certificate validation procedures to verify that all required attributes are properly verified before establishing secure communication channels.