CVE-2016-7070 in Ansible Tower
Summary
by MITRE
A privilege escalation flaw was found in the Ansible Tower. When Tower before 3.0.3 deploys a PostgreSQL database, it incorrectly configures the trust level of postgres user. An attacker could use this vulnerability to gain admin level access to the database.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/08/2023
The vulnerability described in CVE-2016-7070 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within Ansible Tower versions prior to 3.0.3, specifically affecting the PostgreSQL database deployment configuration. This issue stems from improper trust level configuration for the postgres user account during the database setup process, creating a fundamental security weakness that allows unauthorized access to administrative database privileges. The flaw exists at the configuration management level where Ansible Tower fails to properly secure the database authentication mechanism, potentially enabling attackers to bypass normal access controls and escalate their privileges to full administrative access.
This vulnerability operates through a misconfiguration of PostgreSQL's client authentication system, where the trust authentication method is incorrectly applied to the postgres user account. The trust authentication method allows connections without requiring password authentication, which when improperly configured creates an attack vector for unauthorized users. The flaw is particularly dangerous because it occurs during the initial database deployment phase, meaning that any attacker who can interact with the system during this critical setup period can exploit the misconfiguration to gain elevated privileges. This misconfiguration falls under CWE-284, which specifically addresses inadequate access control mechanisms, and represents a classic case of insecure default configurations that can be exploited by attackers with minimal privileges.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple database access, as it provides attackers with administrative control over the entire PostgreSQL database system. Once an attacker gains access through this privilege escalation path, they can manipulate database contents, modify user permissions, extract sensitive data, and potentially use the compromised database as a foothold for further attacks within the network infrastructure. The vulnerability affects the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the database system, as attackers can modify or destroy data, create new administrative accounts, or disable database services. This type of flaw is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where Ansible Tower is used for configuration management and automation, as it can compromise the security of the entire infrastructure that relies on the compromised database.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of Ansible Tower to version 3.0.3 or later, which contains the necessary fixes to properly configure PostgreSQL authentication settings. Organizations should also conduct thorough audits of their existing PostgreSQL configurations to identify and correct any instances of trust-based authentication for administrative accounts. The remediation process should include implementing proper authentication methods such as password-based or certificate-based authentication instead of trust authentication for database users with administrative privileges. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and privilege escalation, and organizations should implement monitoring for unauthorized database access attempts and ensure proper network segmentation to limit exposure of database services to untrusted networks. Additionally, regular security assessments of automation platforms and database configurations should be conducted to prevent similar misconfigurations from occurring in the future.