CVE-2014-7851 in oVirt
Summary
by MITRE
oVirt 3.2.2 through 3.5.0 does not invalidate the restapi session after logout from the webadmin, which allows remote authenticated users with knowledge of another user's session data to gain that user's privileges by replacing their session token with that of another user.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/25/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-7851 affects oVirt versions 3.2.2 through 3.5.0, presenting a critical session management flaw that undermines the security of the web administration interface. This issue stems from improper session invalidation mechanisms within the REST API component of the virtualization platform, creating a persistent security weakness that can be exploited by authenticated attackers who possess session tokens from other users. The vulnerability directly impacts the principle of least privilege and session isolation that are fundamental to secure web applications, as it allows unauthorized privilege escalation through session token replacement attacks.
The technical flaw manifests in the application's failure to properly terminate or invalidate session tokens when users log out of the webadmin interface. Specifically, when a user logs out, the system does not invalidate the corresponding REST API session, leaving the session token in a usable state. This creates a window of opportunity for malicious actors who have obtained valid session tokens from other users to simply replace their own session token with the stolen one, effectively impersonating the legitimate user. The vulnerability operates at the intersection of session management and authentication mechanisms, where the lack of proper session cleanup creates a persistent access vector that can be exploited across multiple user contexts.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability represents a significant threat to the security posture of oVirt deployments, as it enables authenticated attackers to escalate their privileges and gain unauthorized access to other users' administrative capabilities. The implications extend beyond simple privilege escalation, as the affected users may have access to sensitive virtual machine configurations, network settings, storage management, and other critical system resources. The vulnerability affects the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the virtualization environment, potentially allowing attackers to modify or delete virtual machines, manipulate network configurations, or access confidential data. This issue particularly impacts multi-user environments where administrators and regular users share the same platform, as it can enable lateral movement and persistent access to the virtualized infrastructure.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-613, which addresses Insufficient Session Expiration, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1548.003 for Abuse of Functionality, where attackers exploit legitimate application features to gain unauthorized access. Organizations using affected oVirt versions face significant risk of unauthorized access to their virtualized environments, with potential for data breaches, service disruption, and compliance violations. The attack vector requires minimal technical expertise, as it relies on the simple replacement of session tokens rather than complex exploitation techniques. Remediation efforts should focus on implementing proper session invalidation mechanisms, ensuring that all session tokens are properly terminated upon logout, and implementing additional session management controls such as token rotation and session timeout mechanisms.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability include immediate upgrading to patched versions of oVirt that address the session invalidation issue, implementing additional monitoring for suspicious session activity, and configuring proper session timeout mechanisms. Organizations should also consider implementing additional authentication controls such as two-factor authentication, session binding to IP addresses, and regular session token rotation. The fix should ensure that when a user logs out, all associated session tokens are properly invalidated and cannot be reused by other authenticated users. Security teams should also conduct regular audits of session management practices and implement comprehensive logging of session creation, usage, and termination events to detect potential exploitation attempts.