CVE-2016-8219 in Cloud Foundry
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in Cloud Foundry Foundation cf-release versions prior to 250 and CAPI-release versions prior to 1.12.0. A user with the SpaceAuditor role is over-privileged with the ability to restage applications. This could cause application downtime if the restage fails.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/16/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-8219 represents a critical authorization flaw within the Cloud Foundry platform's access control mechanisms. This issue affects Cloud Foundry Foundation cf-release versions before 250 and CAPI-release versions before 1.12.0, where the privilege escalation occurs through the SpaceAuditor role. The flaw stems from improper role-based access control implementation that grants excessive permissions to users assigned to the SpaceAuditor role, which should typically only have read-only monitoring capabilities within a Cloud Foundry space.
The technical nature of this vulnerability manifests as an over-privileged user account that can execute application restaging operations despite lacking the appropriate authorization level. According to CWE-284, this represents an improper access control vulnerability where the system fails to properly enforce authorization boundaries between different user roles. The SpaceAuditor role is designed to monitor application performance, view logs, and observe application status without the ability to modify or restart applications. However, this vulnerability allows such users to perform restage operations that can trigger application restarts and potentially cause service disruption.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it creates potential for service degradation and application downtime. When a SpaceAuditor user can successfully restage applications, they effectively gain the ability to perform destructive actions that should be restricted to users with higher privileges such as SpaceManager or SpaceDeveloper roles. This creates a scenario where unauthorized individuals with monitoring permissions can inadvertently or maliciously cause application downtime through failed restage operations. The vulnerability directly impacts the principle of least privilege and can lead to denial of service conditions that affect end users and business operations.
From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to privilege escalation techniques where an attacker with a lower-privileged account can leverage improper access controls to gain elevated capabilities. The affected Cloud Foundry platform components include the Cloud Controller API which handles user authentication and authorization, specifically the application restaging endpoint that should enforce proper access control checks. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to cf-release version 250 or later and CAPI-release version 1.12.0 or later, where the authorization controls have been properly enforced. Additionally, administrators should review and audit existing SpaceAuditor role assignments to ensure appropriate privilege levels and consider implementing more granular access controls that align with the principle of least privilege. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper role-based access control implementation in cloud platforms and highlights the potential for seemingly benign monitoring roles to be exploited for more dangerous operations.