CVE-2017-2614 in ovirt-aaa-jdbc-tool
Summary
by MITRE
When updating a password in the rhvm database the ovirt-aaa-jdbc-tool tools before 1.1.3 fail to correctly check for the current password if it is expired. This would allow access to an attacker with access to change the password on accounts with expired passwords, gaining access to those accounts.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/27/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-2614 represents a critical authentication bypass flaw within the oVirt virtualization platform's database password management system. This issue specifically affects the ovirt-aaa-jdbc-tool utilities version 1.1.2 and earlier, creating a pathway for unauthorized access when users attempt to reset passwords for accounts with expired credentials. The flaw stems from insufficient validation mechanisms that fail to properly verify the current password state before allowing password modifications, fundamentally undermining the security controls designed to protect user accounts.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the password update logic of the oVirt administration tools, where the system incorrectly processes password change requests for expired accounts. When an account password has expired, the authentication system should enforce strict verification procedures to ensure that only legitimate users can reset their credentials. However, the affected version of ovirt-aaa-jdbc-tool bypasses these critical checks, allowing an attacker with access to the password change functionality to modify accounts regardless of their current password status. This represents a failure in the principle of least privilege and proper access control enforcement, as outlined in the CWE-284 access control weakness classification.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential compromise, as it enables attackers to gain unauthorized access to administrative accounts within the oVirt environment. This access could potentially lead to complete system compromise, allowing threat actors to manipulate virtual machine configurations, access sensitive data, or establish persistent backdoors within the virtualized infrastructure. The vulnerability particularly affects organizations using oVirt as their primary virtualization platform, where administrative access to the hypervisor management system provides extensive control over the entire virtualized environment.
Security practitioners should consider this vulnerability in relation to the ATT&CK framework's credential access and privilege escalation tactics, as it directly enables unauthorized credential modification and access to protected accounts. The flaw aligns with techniques involving password spraying and credential reuse attacks, where attackers exploit weak password validation mechanisms to gain system access. Organizations should immediately implement patch management procedures to upgrade to ovirt-aaa-jdbc-tool version 1.1.3 or later, which contains the necessary fixes to properly validate password states before allowing modifications. Additionally, implementing multi-factor authentication and robust monitoring of password change activities can help detect and prevent exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper authentication flow validation and highlights the need for comprehensive security testing of administrative tools within virtualization platforms.