CVE-2014-5376 in Moab
Summary
by MITRE
Adaptive Computing Moab before 7.2.9 and 8 before 8.0.0, when a pre-generated key is used, does not validate that the requesting user matches the actor in the message, which allows remote authenticated users to impersonate arbitrary users via the actor field in a message.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/30/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-5376 affects Adaptive Computing Moab versions prior to 7.2.9 and 8.0.0, representing a critical authentication bypass flaw that undermines the system's user identity verification mechanisms. This vulnerability specifically manifests when the system employs pre-generated keys for authentication purposes, creating a pathway for malicious actors to exploit the trust relationship between components. The flaw resides in the insufficient validation of user identity claims within message headers, particularly focusing on the actor field that should contain the authenticating user identifier. When an attacker crafts a message with a manipulated actor field, the system fails to verify that the claimed user identity aligns with the actual requesting user, thereby enabling unauthorized impersonation.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from a design flaw in the message processing pipeline where the system accepts actor field values without proper cross-verification against the actual authentication context. This weakness allows an authenticated user to submit messages containing forged actor field values that reference other valid users within the system. The attack vector requires the attacker to already possess valid credentials to access the system, but once authenticated, they can manipulate the actor field to assume the identity of any legitimate user. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of identity spoofing and authentication bypass, with direct implications for access control and audit trail integrity. The flaw demonstrates a failure in implementing proper message integrity checks and user identity validation, which are fundamental security requirements in distributed computing environments.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-5376 extends beyond simple unauthorized access, potentially enabling attackers to perform actions with elevated privileges, access restricted resources, and compromise sensitive data through impersonation. Organizations using affected Moab versions face significant risks including unauthorized system modifications, data exfiltration, and disruption of legitimate user activities. The vulnerability affects the core authentication and authorization mechanisms of the workload management system, potentially allowing attackers to execute jobs, modify queue configurations, or access system administration functions under false identities. This type of vulnerability directly violates security principles outlined in the CWE taxonomy under CWE-287, which addresses improper authentication issues, and aligns with ATT&CK techniques involving privilege escalation and credential access. The impact is particularly severe in high-performance computing environments where Moab systems manage critical computational resources and sensitive research data.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-5376 require immediate patching of affected Moab installations to versions 7.2.9 or 8.0.0 and beyond, where the authentication validation has been properly implemented. Organizations should also implement additional monitoring and logging of authentication events to detect potential impersonation attempts, particularly focusing on unusual actor field values in system messages. Network segmentation and access controls should be strengthened to limit the blast radius of potential exploitation, while regular security audits should verify that message authentication mechanisms are functioning correctly. System administrators should also review and enforce proper access control policies, ensuring that users have only the minimum necessary privileges required for their legitimate operations. The vulnerability highlights the importance of implementing robust message integrity checks and proper identity validation in distributed systems, emphasizing the need for defense-in-depth strategies that protect against both external and internal threats through comprehensive authentication mechanisms.