CVE-2016-0732 in Cloud Foundry
Summary
by MITRE
The identity zones feature in Pivotal Cloud Foundry 208 through 229; UAA 2.0.0 through 2.7.3 and 3.0.0; UAA-Release 2 through 4, when configured with multiple identity zones; and Elastic Runtime 1.6.0 through 1.6.13 allows remote authenticated users with privileges in one zone to gain privileges and perform operations on a different zone via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/13/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-0732 represents a critical privilege escalation issue within Pivotal Cloud Foundry's identity management system. This flaw specifically affects versions of Pivotal Cloud Foundry ranging from 208 through 229, alongside UAA components versioned 2.0.0 through 2.7.3 and 3.0.0, as well as UAA-Release versions 2 through 4. The issue manifests when the platform is configured with multiple identity zones, creating a complex security landscape where proper isolation between zones should be maintained. The vulnerability stems from insufficient access controls that fail to properly enforce zone boundaries, allowing malicious actors to exploit their privileges within one zone to gain unauthorized access to resources in other zones.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability lies in the improper handling of identity zone boundaries within the User Account and Authentication (UAA) service. When multiple identity zones are configured, the system should maintain strict separation between zones to prevent cross-zone privilege escalation. However, the flaw allows authenticated users who possess certain privileges within one zone to manipulate the system in ways that bypass these security boundaries. This typically involves exploiting the way the UAA service processes authentication tokens and zone information, potentially through manipulation of zone identifiers, token scope validation, or session management mechanisms. The unspecified vectors suggest that multiple attack paths may exist, potentially including token forgery, scope manipulation, or improper validation of zone membership during authentication processes.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-0732 is severe for organizations relying on multi-zone Cloud Foundry deployments, as it fundamentally undermines the security isolation that these configurations are designed to provide. Attackers who successfully exploit this vulnerability can move laterally between different security domains within the same platform instance, potentially accessing sensitive applications, user data, or system resources that should be isolated in separate zones. This cross-zone access could enable comprehensive data breaches, privilege escalation to administrative levels, or the ability to manipulate applications and services running in other zones. The implications extend beyond simple data access, as the vulnerability may allow attackers to modify system configurations, inject malicious code, or disrupt services across multiple zones, effectively nullifying the security benefits of zone-based isolation.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to patched versions of Pivotal Cloud Foundry and UAA components where available, as the vulnerability affects multiple versions in the affected release ranges. Security configurations should be reviewed to ensure proper zone isolation enforcement, and access controls should be strengthened to prevent unauthorized privilege escalation. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control, and maps to ATT&CK techniques related to privilege escalation and lateral movement within cloud environments. Network segmentation and monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, while regular security audits should verify proper zone boundary enforcement. Additionally, organizations should implement least privilege principles and regularly review user permissions across zones to minimize potential impact should exploitation occur. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper isolation mechanisms in multi-tenant cloud platforms and highlights the need for comprehensive security testing of identity management systems in complex deployment scenarios.