CVE-2016-3107 in Pulp
Summary
by MITRE
The Node certificate in Pulp before 2.8.3 contains the private key, and is stored in a world-readable file in the "/etc/pki/pulp/nodes/" directory, which allows local users to gain access to sensitive data.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/08/2022
The vulnerability described in CVE-2016-3107 represents a critical security flaw in the Pulp content management system where the node certificate contains embedded private key material and is stored with inadequate file permissions. This issue affects Pulp versions prior to 2.8.3 and creates a significant exposure by placing sensitive cryptographic materials in a world-readable directory structure. The vulnerability stems from improper privilege separation and file access control mechanisms within the Pulp deployment configuration, allowing any local user to access the certificate file and extract the private key components.
The technical flaw manifests through the insecure storage of cryptographic materials in the /etc/pki/pulp/nodes/ directory where the node certificate file is accessible to all local users. This represents a violation of the principle of least privilege and directly contravenes security best practices for handling private keys and sensitive certificates. The certificate file contains both the public certificate and private key in a single file, which is inherently problematic as it increases the attack surface and provides adversaries with complete cryptographic identity. This configuration enables local privilege escalation scenarios where an attacker with basic user access can extract the private key and potentially impersonate the node within the Pulp infrastructure.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure to encompass potential system compromise and unauthorized access to content management services. An attacker who gains access to the private key can perform man-in-the-middle attacks against other Pulp components, impersonate legitimate nodes in the distributed system, and potentially access protected content repositories. The vulnerability also creates opportunities for credential replay attacks and undermines the integrity of the entire Pulp security model. From an attack perspective, this represents a low-effort, high-impact vector that aligns with the ATT&CK technique of privilege escalation through credential access, specifically targeting the credential access phase of the attack lifecycle.
This vulnerability maps directly to CWE-732: Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource and CWE-310: Cryptographic Issues, highlighting the intersection of improper access control and cryptographic weakness. The issue demonstrates poor security hygiene in the software deployment and configuration management processes, where sensitive materials are not properly secured despite being fundamental to system security. Organizations using affected Pulp versions face significant risk of unauthorized access to content repositories, potential data breaches, and compromise of the entire content management infrastructure. The vulnerability also indicates a lack of proper security auditing and configuration validation within the deployment lifecycle, as such misconfigurations should be detectable through standard security scanning and compliance verification processes.
The recommended mitigations include immediate patching to Pulp version 2.8.3 or later where the certificate storage issue has been addressed, proper file permission configuration to restrict access to the certificate directory, and implementation of automated security scanning to detect similar misconfigurations. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive audits of all cryptographic material storage locations and implement principle of least privilege access controls for sensitive system files. Additionally, organizations should establish configuration management policies that prevent the storage of private keys in world-readable locations and implement proper key rotation procedures to minimize the impact of any potential compromise.