CVE-2017-12114 in JSON-RPC
Summary
by MITRE
An exploitable improper authorization vulnerability exists in admin_peers API of cpp-ethereum's JSON-RPC (commit 4e1015743b95821849d001618a7ce82c7c073768). A JSON request can cause an access to the restricted functionality resulting in authorization bypass. An attacker can send JSON to trigger this vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/02/2023
The CVE-2017-12114 vulnerability represents a critical authorization bypass flaw within the cpp-ethereum client's JSON-RPC interface, specifically affecting the admin_peers API endpoint. This vulnerability stems from inadequate access control mechanisms that fail to properly validate user permissions before executing sensitive operations. The issue manifests when malicious actors submit crafted JSON-RPC requests that circumvent the intended authorization checks, allowing unauthorized access to peer management functionality that should be restricted to privileged administrators only. The vulnerability was introduced in a specific commit hash 4e1015743b95821849d001618a7ce82c7c073768, indicating a targeted code modification that inadvertently created this security gap.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of JSON-RPC requests targeting the admin_peers API endpoint. When an attacker crafts a malicious JSON payload and submits it to the vulnerable system, the improper authorization check fails to validate whether the requesting user possesses the necessary privileges to access peer management functions. This flaw directly violates the principle of least privilege and allows attackers to enumerate network peers, potentially gaining insights into the network topology and identifying other nodes within the Ethereum network. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and can be exploited remotely without requiring authentication, making it particularly dangerous for networked systems.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-12114 extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it can enable more sophisticated attacks within the Ethereum ecosystem. Attackers who successfully exploit this vulnerability can potentially disrupt network operations by manipulating peer connections, perform reconnaissance to map network structures, or even facilitate further attacks by gaining access to information that could be used to compromise other system components. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of the Ethereum network by allowing unauthorized entities to access restricted administrative functions that should remain protected from general users. This represents a significant weakness in the security architecture of the cpp-ethereum client, as it undermines the trust model that governs access to network management functions.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability should focus on implementing robust access control mechanisms within the JSON-RPC interface. The primary fix involves strengthening the authorization checks within the admin_peers API endpoint to ensure that all incoming requests are properly authenticated and authorized before executing any privileged operations. This includes implementing proper role-based access controls that verify user credentials against established authorization policies and ensuring that the code properly validates access tokens or session identifiers. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security layers such as request rate limiting, IP address filtering, and comprehensive logging of all administrative API access attempts to detect and respond to potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization issues in software systems, and represents a clear violation of the ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for phishing, as it allows unauthorized access through legitimate API endpoints.