CVE-2014-4967 in Ansible
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple argument injection vulnerabilities in Ansible before 1.6.7 allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by leveraging access to an Ansible managed host and providing a crafted fact, as demonstrated by a fact with (1) a trailing " src=" clause, (2) a trailing " temp=" clause, or (3) a trailing " validate=" clause accompanied by a shell command.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/15/2024
The vulnerability CVE-2014-4967 represents a critical argument injection flaw in Ansible versions prior to 1.6.7 that enables remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on managed hosts. This vulnerability operates through a sophisticated exploitation vector that leverages the trust model inherent in Ansible's architecture where facts collected from managed hosts are processed without adequate sanitization. The flaw specifically targets the way Ansible handles fact data during playbook execution, creating a pathway for attackers to inject malicious arguments that get interpreted as shell commands.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability relies on the manipulation of fact data that Ansible collects from managed hosts. Attackers can craft malicious facts that contain trailing clauses such as "src=", "temp=", or "validate=" followed by shell commands. These clauses are processed by Ansible's argument handling mechanisms, which fail to properly validate or escape the input before incorporating it into shell commands. This creates a classic command injection vulnerability where attacker-controlled data flows directly into system execution contexts. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates within the legitimate fact collection process, making it difficult to detect and distinguish from normal operational behavior.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability allows attackers with access to a managed host to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code on the target system. The attack requires only the ability to provide a crafted fact to the managed host, which can be achieved through various means including compromised managed hosts, man-in-the-middle attacks, or by exploiting other vulnerabilities in the Ansible infrastructure. The exploitation chain typically involves an attacker first gaining access to a managed host, then crafting a malicious fact that includes the targeted injection clauses, and finally triggering playbook execution that processes this fact through vulnerable argument handling code. This vulnerability affects the core security model of Ansible deployments where trust is placed in facts collected from managed systems.
The vulnerability maps directly to CWE-77 and CWE-94 within the Common Weakness Enumeration framework, representing command injection and code injection weaknesses respectively. From the MITRE ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with techniques such as T1059.001 (Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell) and T1068 (Exploitation for Privilege Escalation) where attackers leverage system-level vulnerabilities to execute arbitrary commands. The attack surface is particularly broad as it affects all Ansible versions before 1.6.7 and can be exploited in environments where multiple managed hosts exist, potentially allowing for lateral movement and privilege escalation across entire Ansible-managed infrastructures. Organizations using Ansible for configuration management and orchestration are particularly vulnerable since this flaw can be exploited to gain complete control over managed systems.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-4967 primarily focus on upgrading to Ansible version 1.6.7 or later where the vulnerability has been patched. The fix implemented by Ansible developers involves enhanced input validation and sanitization of fact data to prevent injection of malicious arguments. Additional mitigations include implementing strict access controls for managed hosts to prevent unauthorized fact injection, monitoring fact collection processes for suspicious patterns, and employing network segmentation to limit the scope of potential exploitation. Organizations should also conduct thorough security reviews of their Ansible configurations to identify any custom modules or playbooks that might be vulnerable to similar injection patterns, and implement proper input validation at all levels of the Ansible execution pipeline to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in the future.