CVE-2015-5250 in OpenShift Origin
Summary
by MITRE
The API server in OpenShift Origin 1.0.5 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (master process crash) via crafted JSON data.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/14/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-5250 affects the API server component of OpenShift Origin version 1.0.5, representing a critical security flaw that enables remote attackers to execute denial of service attacks against the master process. This issue stems from insufficient input validation mechanisms within the API server's JSON parsing functionality, creating a pathway for malicious actors to craft specifically formatted JSON data that triggers unexpected behavior in the system's processing pipeline. The vulnerability operates at the application layer, specifically targeting the master node's API server which serves as the central control point for cluster management operations and resource orchestration within the OpenShift environment.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the API server's failure to properly sanitize or validate incoming JSON payloads before processing them through internal parsing routines. When malformed or specially crafted JSON data is submitted to the API endpoint, the server's parsing mechanism encounters unexpected input structures that cause it to crash or become unresponsive. This occurs due to inadequate exception handling and input validation checks that should normally occur during JSON deserialization processes. The flaw essentially allows an attacker to inject data that bypasses normal validation controls and directly impacts the master process memory management or thread execution, leading to system instability and complete service disruption. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which describes improper input validation, and represents a classic example of how insufficient sanitization of user-supplied data can lead to system-level failures.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-5250 extends beyond simple service interruption, as it fundamentally compromises the availability and reliability of OpenShift Origin clusters. When the master process crashes due to this vulnerability, it affects the entire cluster's ability to manage resources, schedule pods, and maintain cluster state consistency. The denial of service condition can persist until manual intervention occurs to restart the master services, potentially causing extended downtime for applications and services hosted on the platform. This vulnerability particularly impacts organizations relying on OpenShift for container orchestration, as it undermines the platform's core promise of high availability and robust service delivery. From an attack perspective, the vulnerability is easily exploitable since it requires minimal technical expertise to craft the malicious JSON payloads, making it attractive to threat actors seeking to disrupt cloud-based infrastructure operations.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-5250 should focus on immediate patching of the OpenShift Origin 1.0.5 installation to the latest available version that contains the necessary input validation fixes. Organizations should implement network-level controls to restrict access to the API server endpoints where possible, limiting exposure to trusted sources only. Input validation should be strengthened at multiple layers including application-level JSON schema validation, API gateway filtering, and network segmentation to prevent unauthorized access to critical management interfaces. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual patterns in API server requests that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, implementing automated health checks and failover mechanisms can help maintain service availability during potential exploitation attempts. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and exception handling in distributed systems, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1499 which covers network denial of service attacks and emphasizes the need for robust application-level defenses against malformed data inputs. Organizations should also consider implementing comprehensive logging and monitoring solutions to track API server activity and identify potential exploitation attempts before they result in service disruption.