CVE-2015-3283 in OpenAFS
Summary
by MITRE
OpenAFS before 1.6.13 allows remote attackers to spoof bos commands via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/09/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-3283 affects OpenAFS versions prior to 1.6.13 and represents a significant security flaw in the Open Network Authentication Framework's Bos (Boson) command system. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to spoof bos commands, potentially enabling unauthorized execution of administrative operations on OpenAFS servers. The unspecified vectors suggest that the flaw exists within the authentication or command validation mechanisms that govern how bos commands are processed and verified within the OpenAFS architecture.
OpenAFS is a distributed file system that provides authentication and access control for networked environments, with bos commands serving as critical administrative tools for managing AFS services. The vulnerability specifically impacts the integrity of command processing within the Bos system, which is responsible for controlling various AFS server processes including the file server, volume server, and authentication server. When an attacker can spoof bos commands, they essentially gain the ability to execute administrative operations on remote OpenAFS servers without proper authentication, potentially leading to complete system compromise.
The technical implications of this vulnerability extend beyond simple command spoofing, as it represents a failure in the authentication and authorization mechanisms that are fundamental to OpenAFS security. This flaw aligns with CWE-287, which addresses improper authentication issues in software systems, and could potentially map to ATT&CK technique T1078.001 for valid accounts and T1566.001 for spearphishing via social engineering if the attack vector involves credential compromise. The unspecified nature of the vectors suggests that the vulnerability may stem from inadequate input validation, weak cryptographic implementations, or insufficient session management within the Bos command processing pipeline.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-3283 is severe for organizations relying on OpenAFS for their file sharing and authentication infrastructure. Attackers could potentially gain complete control over AFS server operations, including starting, stopping, or modifying services, changing user permissions, and accessing sensitive data stored within the distributed file system. This vulnerability undermines the core security model of OpenAFS by allowing remote execution of administrative commands, effectively bypassing the normal access control mechanisms that protect these critical operations. Organizations may experience data breaches, service disruption, and complete compromise of their distributed file system infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-3283 primarily focus on immediate patching of affected OpenAFS installations to version 1.6.13 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for the bos command spoofing vulnerability. System administrators should also implement additional network security measures including firewall restrictions to limit access to Bos command ports, network segmentation to isolate AFS servers from untrusted networks, and enhanced monitoring of Bos command execution logs. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches in distributed systems and demonstrates the critical nature of authentication mechanisms in preventing unauthorized administrative access. Organizations should also conduct thorough security assessments of their OpenAFS deployments to identify any potential exploitation attempts and implement proper audit trails for all Bos command activities.