CVE-2015-1316 in Joyent Provider
Summary
by MITRE
Juju Core's Joyent provider before version 1.25.5 uploads the user's private ssh key.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/06/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-1316 affects Juju Core's Joyent provider implementation, specifically addressing a critical security flaw in versions prior to 1.25.5. This issue represents a significant breach in the secure handling of authentication credentials within cloud orchestration frameworks. The vulnerability manifests when the Joyent provider component of Juju Core inadvertently uploads a user's private SSH key to the target cloud environment during provisioning operations, creating an exploitable condition that compromises the integrity of the entire deployment infrastructure.
The technical flaw stems from improper credential management within the Juju Core architecture, where the system fails to adequately sanitize or restrict access to private SSH keys during the cloud provisioning process. This occurs when the Joyent provider component, responsible for managing deployments on Joyent's cloud infrastructure, automatically includes user authentication keys in the metadata or configuration files that are subsequently transmitted to the target environment. The flaw operates at the application level and demonstrates a clear violation of secure coding practices, particularly in the handling of sensitive cryptographic materials. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability maps to CWE-312, which addresses the exposure of sensitive information through improper handling of private keys, and CWE-200, concerning the exposure of sensitive information to unauthorized actors.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple credential leakage, as it fundamentally undermines the security posture of any Juju Core deployment using the affected Joyent provider. An attacker who gains access to the uploaded private SSH key can immediately establish unauthorized remote access to all systems provisioned through that Juju environment, potentially compromising entire cloud infrastructures. This creates a persistent backdoor that remains active until the compromised key is rotated and the vulnerable version is upgraded. The vulnerability also affects the principle of least privilege, as users inadvertently grant broad access rights to their private keys during routine deployment operations. From an attack perspective, this flaw aligns with ATT&CK technique T1552.001, which involves the unauthorized access to private keys, and T1078, concerning valid accounts and legitimate credentials. The impact is particularly severe because Juju Core is designed for cloud orchestration, meaning a single compromised key can potentially provide access to multiple cloud resources and services across different environments.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-1316 require immediate remediation through upgrading to Juju Core version 1.25.5 or later, which implements proper credential handling mechanisms that prevent the automatic uploading of private SSH keys. Organizations should also implement comprehensive key rotation procedures for any environments that may have been affected by this vulnerability, ensuring that all previously uploaded keys are invalidated and replaced with new cryptographic materials. Additionally, system administrators should conduct thorough audits of their Juju Core configurations to identify any potential exposure and implement network segmentation controls to limit the blast radius of any successful attacks. The vulnerability underscores the importance of secure credential management practices and proper input validation in cloud orchestration platforms, particularly in multi-tenant environments where credential exposure can have cascading effects across multiple deployments and services.