CVE-2017-2297 in Puppet Enterprise
Summary
by MITRE
Puppet Enterprise versions prior to 2016.4.5 and 2017.2.1 did not correctly authenticate users before returning labeled RBAC access tokens. This issue has been fixed in Puppet Enterprise 2016.4.5 and 2017.2.1. This only affects users with labeled tokens, which is not the default for tokens.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/31/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-2297 represents a critical authentication flaw within Puppet Enterprise software that could potentially allow unauthorized access to system resources. This issue specifically affected versions of Puppet Enterprise prior to 2016.4.5 and 2017.2.1, creating a significant security risk for organizations relying on the platform for infrastructure automation and configuration management. The flaw existed in the way the system handled labeled RBAC access tokens, which are essential for controlling user permissions and access levels within the enterprise environment.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the improper authentication process that occurred before the system returned labeled RBAC access tokens to users. This authentication bypass allowed malicious actors or compromised users to potentially obtain access tokens without proper verification of their credentials. The vulnerability specifically targeted the token generation and validation mechanisms within Puppet Enterprise's access control system, where the system failed to adequately verify user identities before issuing access tokens that contained specific labels granting certain permissions. This flaw falls under the category of insufficient authentication checks as defined by CWE-287, which addresses improper authentication mechanisms that can lead to unauthorized access to protected resources.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple access control breaches, as it could enable attackers to escalate privileges and gain unauthorized access to critical infrastructure components managed by Puppet Enterprise. Organizations using affected versions of Puppet Enterprise were at risk of having their configuration management systems compromised, potentially allowing attackers to modify system configurations, deploy malicious code, or access sensitive data through the compromised access tokens. The vulnerability was particularly concerning because it affected users with labeled tokens, which while not the default setting, represented a significant attack surface that could be exploited by threat actors. This issue aligns with ATT&CK technique T1548.001 for privilege escalation and T1078 for valid accounts, as it involved unauthorized access through legitimate authentication mechanisms that had been improperly validated.
The mitigation strategy for this vulnerability required organizations to upgrade their Puppet Enterprise installations to versions 2016.4.5 or 2017.2.1, where the authentication flaw had been addressed. Security administrators should have immediately assessed their current Puppet Enterprise deployments to identify systems running vulnerable versions and implemented the necessary updates. Additionally, organizations should have reviewed their access token configurations to ensure that labeled tokens were properly secured and that default settings were maintained to minimize the attack surface. The fix implemented by Puppet addressed the core authentication flow by ensuring that proper user verification occurred before any labeled RBAC tokens were issued, thereby preventing the bypass of authentication mechanisms that had previously allowed unauthorized access to privileged resources. This remediation aligns with security best practices for maintaining proper access controls and authentication mechanisms as outlined in various cybersecurity frameworks including NIST SP 800-53 and ISO 27001 standards for access control management.