CVE-2017-2592 in python-oslo-middleware
Summary
by MITRE
python-oslo-middleware before versions 3.8.1, 3.19.1, 3.23.1 is vulnerable to an information disclosure. Software using the CatchError class could include sensitive values in a traceback's error message. System users could exploit this flaw to obtain sensitive information from OpenStack component error logs (for example, keystone tokens).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/08/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-2592 affects the python-oslo-middleware library, specifically versions prior to 3.8.1, 3.19.1, and 3.23.1, presenting a significant information disclosure risk within OpenStack environments. This flaw resides in the CatchError class implementation which improperly handles error messages during exception processing, allowing sensitive data to be inadvertently exposed in traceback information. The vulnerability represents a critical weakness in the middleware's error handling mechanism and directly impacts the security posture of OpenStack deployments that rely on this component for their operational infrastructure.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from insufficient sanitization of error messages within the CatchError class functionality. When exceptions occur during processing, the middleware fails to properly filter or redact sensitive information from the error traceback data before it gets logged or transmitted. This design flaw enables attackers to extract confidential data such as keystone tokens, authentication credentials, or other system-sensitive information that may be present in the error context. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-209, which specifically addresses "Information Exposure Through an Error Message," and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1211 for "Exploitation for Defense Evasion" and T1005 for "Data from Local System." The flaw demonstrates a classic case of improper error handling that violates security best practices for protecting sensitive data in error reporting mechanisms.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-2592 extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it creates opportunities for attackers to escalate privileges and gain deeper access to OpenStack environments. System users who can observe error logs or intercept error messages can extract authentication tokens, session identifiers, or other sensitive data that could be used for unauthorized access to cloud resources. This vulnerability is particularly dangerous in multi-tenant cloud environments where the exposure of one user's authentication tokens could potentially compromise multiple accounts or services. The attack surface is broad since many OpenStack components utilize the oslo-middleware library for error handling, making this vulnerability pervasive across various cloud infrastructure services including identity management, compute services, and storage components that rely on proper error reporting mechanisms.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including upgrading to patched versions of python-oslo-middleware, specifically versions 3.8.1, 3.19.1, or 3.23.1, whichever is appropriate for their deployment environment. Additional protective measures include implementing robust log filtering mechanisms to sanitize error messages before they are written to system logs, establishing strict access controls on error log files, and deploying monitoring solutions to detect unusual patterns in error message content. Security teams should also consider implementing automated vulnerability scanning processes that specifically target middleware libraries and ensure proper error handling practices are enforced across all application components. The remediation process must include thorough testing to verify that error messages no longer contain sensitive information while maintaining adequate diagnostic capabilities for legitimate troubleshooting purposes, following the principle of least privilege and defense in depth security approaches recommended by NIST guidelines.