CVE-2016-8626 in Ceph
Summary
by MITRE
A flaw was found in Red Hat Ceph before 0.94.9-8. The way Ceph Object Gateway handles POST object requests permits an authenticated attacker to launch a denial of service attack by sending null or specially crafted POST object requests.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/27/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-8626 represents a critical denial of service flaw in Red Hat Ceph storage systems prior to version 0.94.9-8. This issue specifically affects the Ceph Object Gateway component, which serves as the interface for handling object storage operations using the S3 protocol. The flaw stems from insufficient input validation within the POST object request processing mechanism, creating a pathway for authenticated attackers to exploit the system through carefully crafted malicious requests. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and demonstrates poor error handling practices that allow malformed requests to disrupt normal system operations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the Ceph Object Gateway's failure to properly validate and sanitize incoming POST object requests before processing them. When an authenticated user submits a request containing null values or specially crafted parameters, the system does not adequately sanitize these inputs, leading to unexpected behavior in the underlying storage management processes. This weakness enables an attacker to trigger resource exhaustion or system instability through what would otherwise be legitimate administrative operations. The flaw can be categorized under CWE-20 as "Improper Input Validation" and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for "Endpoint Denial of Service" within the context of storage systems.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise the entire storage infrastructure's reliability and availability. An authenticated attacker with access to the Ceph Object Gateway can systematically consume system resources through repeated malicious requests, leading to complete service unavailability for legitimate users. This attack vector is particularly concerning because it requires only authentication credentials rather than elevated privileges, making it accessible to users with limited access rights. The vulnerability affects the core object storage functionality and could result in extended downtime for organizations relying on Ceph for their storage infrastructure, potentially causing cascading effects throughout dependent applications and services.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to Red Hat Ceph version 0.94.9-8 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the input validation deficiencies. Network-level controls such as rate limiting and request filtering can provide additional protection against abuse of this vulnerability. Security monitoring should focus on detecting unusual patterns of POST object requests, particularly those containing null values or unexpected parameter combinations. The mitigation strategy should also include implementing proper access controls and least privilege principles to limit the potential impact of authenticated users who might exploit this vulnerability. Regular security assessments of storage infrastructure components and adherence to security best practices for object storage systems will help prevent similar issues in the future and align with industry standards for secure system design.