CVE-2016-5724 in CDH
Summary
by MITRE
Cloudera CDH before 5.9 has Potentially Sensitive Information in Diagnostic Support Bundles.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/28/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-5724 affects Cloudera CDH versions prior to 5.9, specifically concerning the handling of diagnostic support bundles that may contain potentially sensitive information. This issue arises from the diagnostic data collection process within Cloudera's Hadoop distribution platform, where system administrators and support personnel generate comprehensive diagnostic bundles for troubleshooting and support purposes. These bundles typically contain extensive system information including configuration files, log data, performance metrics, and operational details that are essential for identifying and resolving technical issues within the distributed computing environment.
The technical flaw stems from inadequate data sanitization and filtering mechanisms within the diagnostic bundle generation process. When Cloudera CDH creates these support bundles, it collects various system artifacts without sufficient consideration for sensitive data exposure. This includes configuration files that may contain database credentials, API keys, or other authentication tokens, along with log files that could reveal operational details, user information, or system vulnerabilities. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-200, which addresses Information Exposure, and represents a significant concern for organizations handling sensitive data within their Hadoop environments. The diagnostic bundles are often shared with Cloudera support teams or third-party vendors for analysis, creating potential attack vectors if sensitive information is inadvertently included in these packages.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it can lead to unauthorized access to critical system components and data assets. Organizations using affected Cloudera CDH versions may unknowingly expose credentials, encryption keys, or other sensitive parameters that could be exploited by malicious actors. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in regulated environments where compliance requirements mandate strict control over sensitive data exposure, as diagnostic bundles containing such information could violate data protection regulations. Attackers could leverage this information to perform credential stuffing attacks, gain deeper system access, or conduct targeted exploitation of other system components that rely on the exposed credentials or configuration parameters.
The mitigation strategy for CVE-2016-5724 requires immediate upgrade to Cloudera CDH version 5.9 or later, which includes enhanced data sanitization features in the diagnostic bundle generation process. Organizations should also implement additional controls such as manual review of diagnostic bundles before sharing them with support teams, deployment of automated scanning tools to identify sensitive data patterns, and establishment of clear data handling procedures for support interactions. Security teams should conduct regular audits of diagnostic data collection processes and implement network segmentation to limit access to sensitive diagnostic information. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of following the principle of least privilege in system administration and support processes, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers credential harvesting through social engineering and support channel exploitation. Organizations should also consider implementing data loss prevention controls and regular security awareness training for personnel involved in system support and diagnostic data handling operations.