CVE-2016-5006 in Cloud Foundry
Summary
by MITRE
The Cloud Controller in Cloud Foundry before 239 logs user-provided service objects at creation, which allows attackers to obtain sensitive user credential information via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/22/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-5006 affects the Cloud Controller component within Cloud Foundry platforms prior to version 239, representing a critical security flaw in cloud infrastructure management systems. This issue stems from improper handling of user-provided service objects during their creation process, where sensitive credential information gets inadvertently logged in plaintext format. The Cloud Controller serves as the central management interface for Cloud Foundry applications and services, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it provides attackers with potential access to authentication credentials and other sensitive data that should remain protected.
The technical implementation flaw occurs when user-provided service objects are created within the Cloud Foundry environment, specifically during the logging phase of these objects. The system fails to properly sanitize or redact credential information before storing these objects in log files, creating an information disclosure vulnerability that can be exploited by malicious actors with access to system logs. This improper logging behavior violates fundamental security principles and creates an attack surface that can be leveraged for privilege escalation or lateral movement within cloud environments. The vulnerability operates under the broader category of information exposure through logging mechanisms, which aligns with CWE-209 and CWE-489 standards that address improper error handling and information exposure issues.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft, as it can enable attackers to gain unauthorized access to cloud resources and potentially compromise entire application environments. Attackers can exploit this weakness by accessing log files through various means including direct system access, compromised accounts, or through other vulnerabilities that allow log file enumeration. The disclosed credentials can then be used to authenticate to various services, potentially leading to data breaches, service disruption, or unauthorized resource consumption. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations using Cloud Foundry as their primary platform for application deployment and management, where the exposure of service credentials could result in widespread compromise of cloud-based applications and data.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to Cloud Foundry version 239 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the logging vulnerability. Additionally, system administrators should review and modify log configurations to ensure that sensitive information is properly redacted or filtered before being written to log files. The implementation of proper access controls for log files, including principle of least privilege and regular audit of log access permissions, can significantly reduce the risk of credential exposure. Organizations should also consider implementing log monitoring and alerting systems that can detect unusual access patterns to log files, as specified in the mitre attack framework under techniques related to credential access and defense evasion. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar logging issues across the cloud infrastructure, ensuring comprehensive protection against information disclosure vulnerabilities that could compromise cloud platform security.