CVE-2015-1482 in Ansible Tower
Summary
by MITRE
Ansible Tower (aka Ansible UI) before 2.0.5 allows remote attackers to bypass authentication and obtain sensitive information via a websocket connection to socket.io/1/.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/27/2024
The vulnerability CVE-2015-1482 affects Ansible Tower versions prior to 2.0.5, representing a critical authentication bypass flaw that enables remote attackers to access sensitive system information through improperly secured websocket connections. This vulnerability specifically targets the socket.io implementation within the Ansible UI component, creating an unauthorized access vector that undermines the security posture of automated infrastructure management platforms. The issue stems from insufficient authentication checks on websocket endpoints, allowing malicious actors to establish connections without proper credential verification.
The technical flaw manifests through the socket.io/1/ endpoint which fails to validate user credentials or session tokens before granting access to sensitive information. This weakness aligns with CWE-287, which addresses improper authentication mechanisms in software systems, and represents a direct violation of secure authentication principles. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability to establish websocket connections and potentially access configuration data, system logs, deployment information, and other sensitive operational details that should remain protected within the Ansible Tower environment. The vulnerability essentially creates a backdoor pathway through which unauthorized parties can bypass the standard authentication workflow that normally protects administrative interfaces.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for organizations relying on Ansible Tower for infrastructure automation and deployment management. Remote attackers who successfully exploit this vulnerability can gain unauthorized access to sensitive deployment configurations, system credentials, and operational data that could be used for further attacks within the network. This compromise directly affects the confidentiality and integrity of automated infrastructure management systems, potentially enabling attackers to escalate privileges, access additional systems, or disrupt critical deployment processes. The vulnerability affects organizations that have not upgraded to Ansible Tower 2.0.5 or later versions, leaving their automation infrastructure exposed to unauthorized access.
Organizations should immediately upgrade to Ansible Tower version 2.0.5 or later to remediate this vulnerability, as this update includes proper authentication checks for websocket connections and addresses the socket.io authentication bypass. System administrators should also implement network segmentation and monitoring to detect unauthorized websocket connections, while reviewing firewall rules to restrict access to websocket endpoints. The mitigation strategy should include regular security assessments of automation platforms, proper access control implementations, and monitoring for suspicious connection patterns. This vulnerability highlights the importance of securing all communication channels within enterprise automation platforms and demonstrates how seemingly minor authentication flaws can create significant security risks in infrastructure management systems. The issue also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts usage, as attackers can leverage this vulnerability to access systems using legitimate but unauthorized websocket connections.