CVE-2014-5356 in Image Registry And Delivery Service
Summary
by MITRE
OpenStack Image Registry and Delivery Service (Glance) before 2013.2.4, 2014.x before 2014.1.3, and Juno before Juno-3, when using the V2 API, does not properly enforce the image_size_cap configuration option, which allows remote authenticated users to cause a denial of service (disk consumption) by uploading a large image.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/28/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-5356 affects the OpenStack Image Registry and Delivery Service known as Glance, specifically impacting versions prior to critical release points including 2013.2.4, 2014.1.3, and Juno-3. This security flaw resides within the V2 API implementation of Glance and represents a significant concern for cloud infrastructure administrators managing virtual machine image repositories. The issue stems from improper enforcement of the image_size_cap configuration parameter that is designed to limit the maximum size of images that can be stored within the Glance registry. When this configuration option is not properly enforced, authenticated users can exploit the system to upload images exceeding normal storage limits, potentially leading to resource exhaustion and service disruption.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a clear configuration management failure within the Glance service architecture. The image_size_cap parameter serves as a critical control mechanism that should prevent unauthorized or excessive image storage within the registry, yet the flaw allows authenticated users to bypass these restrictions through the V2 API interface. This represents a weakness in the input validation and access control mechanisms that should normally prevent such behavior. The vulnerability specifically impacts systems where Glance is configured to use the V2 API, which became the standard interface for image management within OpenStack environments. The flaw creates a scenario where legitimate authenticated users can consume excessive disk space by uploading large image files, effectively enabling a form of resource exhaustion attack that can impact system performance and availability.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for cloud environments that rely on Glance for image management and distribution. The denial of service condition manifests as excessive disk consumption that can quickly fill storage volumes and potentially cause cascading failures throughout the cloud infrastructure. Organizations managing multiple tenants or users within their OpenStack deployments face heightened risk since any authenticated user within the system can potentially trigger this condition. The vulnerability also represents a potential vector for attackers to consume resources and degrade service quality, particularly in multi-tenant environments where resource isolation is critical. Network administrators and cloud operators must consider the broader implications of this flaw when assessing their security posture and implementing protective measures.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-5356 should prioritize immediate patching of affected Glance installations to versions that properly enforce the image_size_cap configuration option. System administrators should also implement additional monitoring and alerting mechanisms to detect unusual disk consumption patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The configuration management process should be reviewed to ensure that image_size_cap values are appropriately set based on organizational requirements and storage capacity constraints. Organizations should consider implementing additional controls such as per-user or per-project image size limits that provide more granular control over resource consumption. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-117, which addresses improper output neutralization for logs, and may also relate to ATT&CK technique T1499.001 for resource exhaustion attacks. The incident underscores the importance of proper configuration management and access control enforcement in cloud environments, particularly for services that handle user-provided content and data. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should include verification of configuration settings to prevent similar issues from occurring in other system components.