CVE-2017-2622 in Workflow
Summary
by MITRE
An accessibility flaw was found in the OpenStack Workflow (mistral) service where a service log directory was improperly made world readable. A malicious system user could exploit this flaw to access sensitive information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/27/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-2622 represents a critical access control flaw within OpenStack's mistral workflow service that exposes sensitive operational data through improper file system permissions. This accessibility issue stems from the mistral service's handling of log directory permissions, where the service creates log files with world-readable permissions, allowing any user on the system to access potentially sensitive workflow execution data and operational information. The flaw exists in the service's initialization process where log directories are not properly secured with restrictive permissions, creating an avenue for privilege escalation and information disclosure attacks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the mistral service's default configuration where log files are created with permissions that permit read access to all system users rather than restricting access to the service account or specific authorized users only. This misconfiguration creates a persistent security risk where malicious actors with basic system access can extract workflow execution details, potentially including sensitive data processed through the workflow engine, execution timestamps, and operational parameters that could aid in further exploitation attempts. The flaw directly violates security principles of least privilege and proper access control enforcement as outlined in the CWE-732 category for Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability enables attackers to gain unauthorized access to workflow execution data that may contain sensitive information such as user credentials, system configuration details, or business process information processed through the mistral service. The exposure of workflow logs can provide attackers with insights into system operations, helping them understand the structure and behavior of automated processes, which could facilitate more sophisticated attacks targeting the broader OpenStack infrastructure. This vulnerability particularly impacts environments where multiple users share the same system resources or where privilege separation is not properly enforced, creating a significant risk for organizations relying on mistral for workflow automation.
Security mitigations for CVE-2017-2622 should focus on immediate permission corrections where log directories and files are configured with restrictive permissions, typically limiting access to the specific service account and authorized administrators only. System administrators should implement proper log management practices including setting appropriate umask values during service initialization, configuring log rotation with proper permissions, and ensuring that sensitive workflow data is not exposed through overly permissive file system access controls. The remediation process should also include regular security audits of service configurations and log file permissions to prevent similar issues from occurring in other components of the OpenStack ecosystem. Organizations should consider implementing automated monitoring for permission changes and access attempts to log files as part of their overall security posture, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1070 for Indicator Removal on Host and T1068 for Exploitation for Privilege Escalation. This vulnerability highlights the importance of proper privilege management and access control implementation in cloud infrastructure services, particularly those handling sensitive workflow automation processes.