CVE-2014-5300 in Moab
Summary
by MITRE
Adaptive Computing Moab before 7.2.9 and 8 before 8.0.0 allows remote attackers to bypass the signature check, impersonate arbitrary users, and execute commands via a message without a signature.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/30/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-5300 affects Adaptive Computing Moab job scheduling and workload management systems, specifically versions prior to 7.2.9 and 8.0.0. This security flaw represents a critical authentication bypass vulnerability that undermines the system's integrity controls and allows unauthorized remote access. The issue stems from insufficient validation of message signatures within the communication protocol, creating a pathway for malicious actors to exploit the system's trust mechanisms.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the message processing subsystem of Moab's authentication framework. When the system receives messages for job submission, status updates, or administrative commands, it performs signature verification to ensure message authenticity. However, the flaw allows attackers to craft and transmit messages without proper signatures, bypassing the authentication checks entirely. This occurs due to improper validation logic that fails to reject unsigned messages or properly handle missing signature fields. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-347, which addresses weaknesses in authentication mechanisms, specifically focusing on inadequate validation of security tokens or signatures.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates severe implications for organizations relying on Moab for critical workload management. Attackers can impersonate legitimate users and execute arbitrary commands on the system, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The remote nature of the exploit means that attackers do not require physical access or prior credentials to exploit this vulnerability, making it particularly dangerous in networked environments. The ability to execute commands remotely allows for data exfiltration, system modification, or denial of service attacks that can disrupt critical business operations.
The attack surface for this vulnerability extends beyond simple command execution to include potential privilege escalation and lateral movement within networked environments. Organizations using Moab for cluster management, batch processing, or high-performance computing workloads face significant risk from this flaw. The impact is amplified in environments where Moab interfaces with other systems or serves as a central point for job scheduling across multiple computing resources. Security teams must consider this vulnerability as a potential entry point for broader attacks targeting the computing infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-5300 should prioritize immediate patching of affected Moab installations to versions 7.2.9 or 8.0.0 and beyond. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to limit access to Moab systems and employ additional authentication layers where possible. The principle of least privilege should be enforced, ensuring that only authorized personnel can submit jobs or modify system configurations. Monitoring for unauthorized message traffic or unusual command execution patterns can help detect exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should review their overall security posture and consider implementing intrusion detection systems that can identify anomalous behavior patterns consistent with signature bypass attacks. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1550.001, which covers use of stolen credentials, and T1059, covering command and script injection, making it a critical concern for enterprise security teams implementing comprehensive threat detection strategies.