CVE-2015-7544 in Enterprise Virtualization Manager
Summary
by MITRE
redhat-support-plugin-rhev in Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager (aka RHEV Manager) before 3.6 allows remote authenticated users with the SuperUser role on any Entity to execute arbitrary commands on any host in the RHEV environment.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/30/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-7544 represents a critical command execution flaw within the redhat-support-plugin-rhev component of Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager. This issue affects versions prior to 3.6 and stems from insufficient input validation and privilege escalation mechanisms within the support plugin architecture. The vulnerability specifically targets environments where the SuperUser role has been assigned to entities within the RHEV management framework, creating a pathway for authenticated attackers to leverage their privileges for unauthorized system access.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a command injection flaw that occurs when the redhat-support-plugin-rhev processes user-supplied input without proper sanitization or validation. When an authenticated user with SuperUser privileges manipulates specific parameters within the plugin interface, the system fails to properly escape or validate command arguments before executing them on underlying hosts. This design flaw allows attackers to inject malicious commands that are subsequently executed with elevated privileges on any host within the RHEV environment, effectively bypassing normal access controls and privilege boundaries.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates a severe security risk for organizations utilizing Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager. The ability to execute arbitrary commands across the entire virtualization environment means that a single compromised SuperUser account could lead to complete system compromise. Attackers could potentially escalate their privileges beyond the intended scope, gain access to sensitive data, disrupt services, or establish persistent access points within the virtual infrastructure. The vulnerability essentially transforms a legitimate administrative function into a weapon for lateral movement and system exploitation, undermining the fundamental security boundaries of the virtualization platform.
The mitigation strategy for CVE-2015-7544 requires immediate deployment of the Red Hat patch version 3.6 or later, which includes proper input validation and privilege enforcement mechanisms within the redhat-support-plugin-rhev component. Organizations should also implement strict access control measures, including regular review of SuperUser role assignments and implementation of principle of least privilege principles. Network segmentation and monitoring of support plugin communications can help detect anomalous command execution patterns. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-77 and CWE-20 categories related to command injection and input validation failures, and corresponds to ATT&CK techniques involving privilege escalation and command execution within virtualized environments. Additionally, organizations should conduct comprehensive security assessments of their virtualization management interfaces and establish robust monitoring protocols to detect unauthorized command execution activities.