CVE-2016-7035 in Pacemaker
Summary
by MITRE
An authorization flaw was found in Pacemaker before 1.1.16, where it did not properly guard its IPC interface. An attacker with an unprivileged account on a Pacemaker node could use this flaw to, for example, force the Local Resource Manager daemon to execute a script as root and thereby gain root access on the machine.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/08/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-7035 represents a critical authorization flaw within the Pacemaker cluster management system, specifically affecting versions prior to 1.1.16. This issue resides within the inter-process communication interface of Pacemaker, which serves as the core component responsible for managing high-availability cluster resources and ensuring service availability across distributed systems. The flaw stems from inadequate access controls that fail to properly validate permissions when processing incoming IPC requests, creating a significant security gap that can be exploited by malicious actors.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability allows an unprivileged user account to manipulate the Local Resource Manager daemon through crafted IPC messages that trigger unauthorized execution of arbitrary scripts with root privileges. This occurs because the IPC interface lacks proper authentication and authorization checks that should validate whether the requesting process has sufficient privileges to execute specific operations. The flaw essentially creates a privilege escalation vector where a low-privilege attacker can leverage the IPC mechanism to elevate their privileges and gain full root access to the compromised system. This represents a classic case of insufficient authorization controls as classified under CWE-284, where improper access control allows unauthorized users to perform privileged operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it fundamentally undermines the security model of Pacemaker-based clusters that rely on the assumption that only authorized processes can manipulate cluster resources. When exploited, the vulnerability enables attackers to execute arbitrary code with root privileges, potentially leading to complete system compromise, data exfiltration, or the establishment of persistent backdoors within the cluster environment. Organizations running Pacemaker clusters without the applicable security patches face significant risk, particularly in environments where multiple users have access to cluster nodes or where the system is exposed to untrusted network environments.
Security mitigations for CVE-2016-7035 primarily focus on upgrading to Pacemaker version 1.1.16 or later, which includes proper authorization controls for IPC interfaces. System administrators should also implement additional security measures such as restricting IPC access through network segmentation, implementing proper user privilege separation, and monitoring for suspicious IPC activity. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers 'Local Privilege Escalation' through the exploitation of system vulnerabilities, and demonstrates the importance of proper access control implementation in distributed systems. Organizations should conduct comprehensive security assessments of their cluster environments to identify any potential exploitation attempts and ensure that all systems are updated with the latest security patches to prevent unauthorized privilege escalation through IPC mechanisms.