CVE-2015-1775 in Ambari
Summary
by MITRE
Server-side request forgery (SSRF) vulnerability in the proxy endpoint (api/v1/proxy) in Apache Ambari before 2.1.0 allows remote authenticated users to conduct port scans and access unsecured services via a crafted REST call.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/01/2018
The CVE-2015-1775 vulnerability represents a critical server-side request forgery flaw in Apache Ambari's proxy endpoint, specifically affecting versions prior to 2.1.0. This vulnerability resides within the api/v1/proxy endpoint which serves as a gateway for forwarding requests to backend services. The flaw enables authenticated attackers to manipulate the proxy functionality to make requests to arbitrary destinations, effectively bypassing normal network restrictions and access controls that would typically protect internal services from external access.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization within the proxy endpoint's request handling mechanism. When authenticated users submit crafted REST requests to the vulnerable endpoint, the system fails to properly validate or restrict the target URLs or destinations that the proxy can forward requests to. This allows attackers to specify internal network addresses, ports, or services that should otherwise be protected by firewalls or network segmentation. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it leverages the legitimate proxy functionality to conduct unauthorized network reconnaissance and access control bypass.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability enables attackers to perform port scanning operations against internal network services that are normally not directly accessible from the internet. The vulnerability can be exploited to discover running services, identify open ports, and potentially access unsecured internal systems that might not be properly protected. This represents a significant escalation of privileges for authenticated users, as it transforms their legitimate access rights into a powerful reconnaissance and exploitation tool. The vulnerability also poses a risk to organizations that rely on Ambari for cluster management, as it could allow attackers to map internal network topologies and identify potential attack vectors.
The security implications extend beyond simple port scanning to include potential access to internal services that may have weak authentication, unpatched vulnerabilities, or sensitive data. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to probe for services like databases, management interfaces, or other internal systems that are not properly secured. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-918, which specifically addresses server-side request forgery, and represents a classic example of how proxy mechanisms can be abused to bypass network security controls. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving port scanning and network reconnaissance, as well as privilege escalation through exploitation of legitimate system functionality.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including updating to Apache Ambari version 2.1.0 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address this vulnerability. Additional protective measures include implementing network segmentation to isolate the Ambari server from critical internal services, configuring firewall rules to restrict access to the proxy endpoint, and monitoring for suspicious proxy requests. Access controls should be tightened to limit who can submit requests to the proxy endpoint, and organizations should consider implementing additional logging and alerting mechanisms to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper input validation and the principle of least privilege in system design, ensuring that proxy mechanisms do not inadvertently provide access to internal resources beyond their intended scope.