CVE-2016-6827 in FusionCompute
Summary
by MITRE
Huawei FusionCompute before V100R005C10CP7002 stores cleartext AES keys in a file, which allows remote authenticated users to obtain sensitive information via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/21/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-6827 affects Huawei FusionCompute versions prior to V100R005C10CP7002, representing a critical security flaw in the virtualization platform's key management practices. This issue stems from the improper handling of cryptographic keys within the system's configuration files, where AES encryption keys are stored in plaintext format rather than being properly secured through encryption or access controls. The vulnerability exposes sensitive cryptographic materials that are essential for maintaining data confidentiality and system integrity within virtualized environments.
The technical implementation of this flaw involves the storage mechanism within FusionCompute's configuration files where AES keys are persisted in cleartext, making them accessible to any authenticated user with sufficient privileges to read these files. This design decision creates a significant attack surface since the keys can be leveraged by malicious actors who have already gained authenticated access to the system. The unspecified vectors mentioned in the description suggest that the vulnerability could be exploited through various means including local file access, privilege escalation, or through compromised accounts with legitimate access to the platform. The cleartext storage approach directly violates fundamental security principles of key management and creates a dangerous situation where the very cryptographic protections meant to secure data become compromised through poor implementation practices.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as the exposure of AES keys within virtualized environments can lead to widespread compromise of virtual machines and their contained data. Attackers who gain access to these cleartext keys can decrypt sensitive information stored within the virtualized infrastructure, potentially affecting multiple virtual machines and their respective workloads. The vulnerability particularly impacts organizations relying on Huawei FusionCompute for enterprise virtualization, where the compromise of encryption keys can result in unauthorized access to confidential business data, intellectual property, and sensitive user information. This exposure undermines the trust model of the virtualization platform and can lead to regulatory compliance violations, financial losses, and reputational damage.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-6827 should prioritize immediate upgrade to Huawei FusionCompute V100R005C10CP7002 or later versions where the cleartext key storage issue has been addressed. Organizations should implement strict access controls and monitoring for configuration files containing cryptographic materials, applying the principle of least privilege to limit who can access these sensitive resources. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-310, which addresses cryptographic issues related to key management, and represents a clear violation of security best practices outlined in NIST SP 800-57 for cryptographic key management. Additionally, this vulnerability can be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1552.001 for unsecured credentials and T1078 for valid accounts, as it exploits legitimate authenticated access to gain additional security benefits through compromised key storage practices. Organizations should also consider implementing automated key rotation processes and cryptographic key management solutions to prevent similar issues in other systems, while conducting regular security assessments to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities in their virtualization infrastructure.