CVE-2015-6495 in Manager
Summary
by MITRE
There is Sensitive Information in Cloudera Manager before 5.4.6 Diagnostic Support Bundles.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/28/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-6495 represents a critical information disclosure flaw within Cloudera Manager versions prior to 5.4.6. This issue specifically affects the Diagnostic Support Bundles functionality, which is designed to collect system information for troubleshooting and support purposes. The vulnerability arises from improper handling of sensitive data within these diagnostic bundles, potentially exposing confidential information to unauthorized parties. Cloudera Manager is widely used for managing and monitoring Hadoop clusters, making this vulnerability particularly concerning for organizations operating large-scale distributed computing environments where data protection is paramount.
The technical flaw manifests in the Diagnostic Support Bundle generation process where sensitive information is inadvertently included without proper sanitization or encryption. This includes but is not limited to database credentials, API keys, configuration parameters, and other system-level information that should remain protected. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and data handling procedures within the bundle creation mechanism, allowing attackers to extract potentially compromising information simply by accessing the generated diagnostic files. The flaw is classified under CWE-200, which specifically addresses Information Exposure, and represents a failure to properly implement information security controls during the diagnostic reporting process.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as it can enable attackers to gain deeper insights into the target environment's configuration and security posture. Organizations using affected Cloudera Manager versions may find their sensitive operational data accessible through these diagnostic bundles, potentially leading to privilege escalation, lateral movement, or targeted attacks against other systems within the network. The vulnerability affects the confidentiality aspect of the CIA triad, as it directly compromises the protection of sensitive information that should remain private to authorized personnel only. Attackers could leverage this information to craft more sophisticated attacks against the Hadoop ecosystem or related services that depend on the exposed credentials and configuration details.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-6495 primarily focus on upgrading to Cloudera Manager version 5.4.6 or later, which includes proper sanitization of diagnostic bundle contents. Organizations should also implement additional security controls such as restricting access to diagnostic bundle generation and storage, encrypting diagnostic files during transmission, and regularly auditing diagnostic bundle contents for sensitive information. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1566, which covers credential access through the exploitation of information disclosure weaknesses, making it a significant concern for organizations following the MITRE ATT&CK methodology for threat analysis and defense planning. Security teams should also consider implementing automated scanning tools to detect and prevent the creation of diagnostic bundles containing sensitive information, as well as establishing clear policies for diagnostic data handling and retention.