CVE-2014-5252 in Keystone
Summary
by MITRE
The V3 API in OpenStack Identity (Keystone) 2014.1.x before 2014.1.2.1 and Juno before Juno-3 updates the issued_at value for UUID v2 tokens, which allows remote authenticated users to bypass the token expiration and retain access via a verification (1) GET or (2) HEAD request to v3/auth/tokens/.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/28/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-5252 affects the OpenStack Identity service known as Keystone, specifically targeting the V3 API implementation in versions 2014.1.x before 2014.1.2.1 and the Juno release before Juno-3. This security flaw resides within the token management system where UUID v2 tokens are processed, creating a persistent access control issue that undermines the fundamental security mechanisms designed to enforce time-based token expiration. The vulnerability represents a critical weakness in the authentication infrastructure that could allow unauthorized prolonged access to cloud resources.
The technical flaw stems from the improper handling of the issued_at timestamp value within UUID v2 tokens during the token update process. When authentication tokens are refreshed or validated through the V3 API endpoints, the system fails to properly update the issued_at field, which serves as a critical component in token expiration calculations. This design flaw enables authenticated attackers to exploit the system by making simple GET or HEAD requests to the v3/auth/tokens/ endpoint, effectively bypassing the intended token expiration mechanisms and maintaining access to the system beyond the originally permitted time period.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, creating significant risks for cloud environments that rely on Keystone for identity management. Attackers who successfully exploit this vulnerability can maintain persistent access to cloud resources without periodic re-authentication, potentially leading to data breaches, unauthorized resource consumption, and extended attack surfaces within the cloud infrastructure. This issue directly violates the principle of least privilege and undermines the time-based security controls that are fundamental to modern cloud authentication systems, creating opportunities for both insider and external threat actors to maintain prolonged access to sensitive cloud environments.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability involve applying the patched versions of Keystone that address the token update mechanism and ensure proper handling of the issued_at timestamp values. Organizations should implement immediate patch management procedures to update their OpenStack Identity services to versions 2014.1.2.1 or Juno-3 and subsequent releases. Additionally, security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual patterns of token validation requests, particularly those that occur outside normal operational hours or follow token expiration events. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1566, representing credential manipulation through token exploitation. Organizations should also consider implementing additional authentication controls such as multi-factor authentication and regular token rotation policies to reduce the risk associated with such persistent access vulnerabilities.