CVE-2015-8914 in Neutron
Summary
by MITRE
The IPTables firewall in OpenStack Neutron 7.0.x through 7.0.4 (Liberty) and 8.0.x through 8.1.0 (Mitaka) allows remote attackers to bypass an intended ICMPv6-spoofing protection mechanism and consequently cause a denial of service or intercept network traffic via a link-local source address.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/04/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-8914 represents a critical flaw in the IPTables firewall implementation within OpenStack Neutron networking components. This issue affects specific versions of the Liberty and Mitaka release cycles, specifically targeting the 7.0.x series through 7.0.4 and the 8.0.x series through 8.1.0. The flaw manifests in the network security controls that are fundamental to OpenStack's virtual networking infrastructure, potentially allowing malicious actors to circumvent core security mechanisms designed to protect against ICMPv6 spoofing attacks.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the improper handling of link-local source addresses within the IPTables rulesets that govern network traffic filtering. When OpenStack Neutron processes ICMPv6 packets, the system fails to adequately validate source address authenticity for link-local addresses, creating a pathway for attackers to forge packets that appear to originate from legitimate network interfaces. This bypass occurs because the firewall rules do not sufficiently distinguish between legitimate and malicious link-local addresses, particularly those in the fe80::/10 network range that are typically reserved for local network communication.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to encompass potential man-in-the-middle attack capabilities. Attackers exploiting this weakness can intercept network traffic intended for other hosts within the same network segment, effectively undermining the isolation properties that virtual networks are designed to provide. The vulnerability enables malicious actors to disrupt network communications by injecting forged ICMPv6 packets that appear to originate from legitimate network endpoints, potentially causing network devices to route traffic incorrectly or to drop legitimate packets.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control mechanisms in network security implementations, and represents a significant weakness in the principle of least privilege enforcement within virtualized network environments. The issue also maps to ATT&CK technique T1071.004, which covers application layer protocol: DNS, as the compromised network controls can be leveraged to manipulate network traffic routing and communication patterns. The flaw demonstrates a critical gap in the validation of network packet source addresses, particularly in IPv6 environments where link-local addressing is prevalent.
Organizations implementing OpenStack Neutron with affected versions should prioritize immediate remediation through patch updates to versions that contain the necessary fixes. The mitigation strategy involves ensuring that all network security rules properly validate link-local address authenticity and implement stricter filtering mechanisms for ICMPv6 traffic. Additionally, network administrators should consider implementing additional monitoring controls to detect anomalous ICMPv6 traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability underscores the importance of comprehensive testing of network security controls in virtualized environments and highlights the need for robust validation of packet source addresses across all network protocols to prevent similar bypass scenarios in future deployments.