CVE-2015-3289 in Glance
Summary
by MITRE
OpenStack Glance before 2015.1.1 (kilo) allows remote authenticated users to cause a denial of service (disk consumption) by repeatedly using the import task flow API to create images and then deleting them.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/13/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-3289 affects OpenStack Glance versions prior to 2015.1.1, specifically within the kilo release cycle. This security flaw represents a significant denial of service risk that can be exploited by authenticated attackers who possess valid credentials within the OpenStack environment. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of the import task flow API within the Glance image service, which is responsible for managing virtual machine images in OpenStack cloud deployments.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the manipulation of Glance's import task flow functionality through repeated API calls that create image resources and subsequently delete them. This process consumes disk space on the storage backend without proper cleanup mechanisms or resource limits, leading to gradual exhaustion of available storage capacity. The flaw exists because the system does not adequately validate or rate-limit the creation and deletion cycles, allowing malicious users to continuously iterate through the import process and consume available disk resources. This behavior effectively transforms legitimate system functionality into a vector for resource exhaustion attacks.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-3289 extends beyond simple denial of service, as it can severely compromise the stability and availability of OpenStack cloud environments. When exploited, the vulnerability can lead to complete storage exhaustion on the Glance service nodes, rendering the image service unusable and potentially affecting other cloud services that depend on proper storage allocation. The attack can be particularly damaging in multi-tenant environments where storage resources are shared among multiple users, as it can affect not only the targeted user's access but potentially impact the entire cloud infrastructure's operational capacity.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-400, which addresses improper resource management in software systems, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with attack patterns documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the resource exhaustion category. Organizations implementing OpenStack Glance services should prioritize immediate patching to version 2015.1.1 or later, which includes proper rate-limiting and resource management controls. Additional mitigations include implementing strict API rate limiting, monitoring storage consumption patterns, and establishing automated alerts for unusual resource usage. Network segmentation and access control measures can also help limit the potential impact by restricting which authenticated users can access the vulnerable import task flow API endpoints. Organizations should also consider implementing storage quotas and monitoring mechanisms to detect and prevent unauthorized resource consumption patterns that could indicate exploitation of this vulnerability.