CVE-2017-15104 in Heketi 5 Server
Summary
by MITRE
An access flaw was found in Heketi 5, where the heketi.json configuration file was world readable. An attacker having local access to the Heketi server could read plain-text passwords from the heketi.json file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/18/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-15104 represents a critical access control flaw in Heketi version 5, a distributed storage management solution designed for OpenStack and Kubernetes environments. This issue stems from improper file system permissions that allow any local user to read the heketi.json configuration file, which contains sensitive authentication credentials in plain text format. The flaw exists because the configuration file lacks proper access control restrictions, creating an unnecessary exposure point that violates fundamental security principles of least privilege and secure configuration management. This vulnerability directly impacts the security posture of storage infrastructure deployments that rely on Heketi for volume provisioning and management.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a classic misconfiguration issue where the heketi.json file is created with world-readable permissions, typically set to 644 or similar permissive modes. When the Heketi service runs with elevated privileges, it creates this configuration file containing database connection strings, authentication tokens, and other sensitive parameters that are stored in plain text rather than encrypted form. Local attackers can exploit this by simply executing standard file reading operations to extract the credentials, which then provide access to underlying storage systems managed by Heketi. This flaw operates at the file system level and represents a failure in proper privilege separation and secure file handling practices. The vulnerability is classified as a CWE-732: Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource, which specifically addresses situations where critical system resources are given overly permissive access controls.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft, as it can enable attackers to gain unauthorized access to storage backends managed by Heketi, potentially leading to data exfiltration, storage corruption, or disruption of services. Attackers with local access can escalate their privileges within the storage management infrastructure and may be able to manipulate volume provisioning, delete storage resources, or access sensitive data stored on managed volumes. This vulnerability particularly affects environments where Heketi is deployed in cloud-native architectures, containerized deployments, or OpenStack environments where proper segmentation and access control are critical for maintaining security boundaries. The attack vector requires only local system access, making it particularly dangerous in shared hosting environments or multi-tenant deployments where local access might be more easily obtained.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-15104 should focus on immediate remediation of file system permissions combined with long-term architectural improvements to credential management. The most direct fix involves setting restrictive file permissions on the heketi.json file, typically to 600 or 640, ensuring that only the Heketi service user can read the file. Additionally, organizations should implement proper credential management practices such as using environment variables, encrypted configuration files, or external secret management systems like HashiCorp Vault or Kubernetes secrets. Security hardening measures should include regular audit of file permissions, implementation of automated monitoring for permission changes, and adherence to security frameworks such as the Center for Internet Security (CIS) benchmarks for storage management systems. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of following the principle of least privilege and implementing proper access control mechanisms that align with NIST cybersecurity frameworks and the MITRE ATT&CK framework's defense evasion and credential access tactics. Organizations should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems to monitor for unauthorized file access attempts and establish proper incident response procedures for credential exposure events.