CVE-2017-2637 in OpenStack Platform Director
Summary
by MITRE
A design flaw issue was found in the Red Hat OpenStack Platform director use of TripleO to enable libvirtd based live-migration. Libvirtd is deployed by default (by director) listening on 0.0.0.0 (all interfaces) with no-authentication or encryption. Anyone able to make a TCP connection to any compute host IP address, including 127.0.0.1, other loopback interface addresses, or in some cases possibly addresses that have been exposed beyond the management interface, could use this to open a virsh session to the libvirtd instance and gain control of virtual machine instances or possibly take over the host.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/15/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2017-2637 represents a critical design flaw within the Red Hat OpenStack Platform director implementation of TripleO orchestration. This issue specifically affects the libvirtd service configuration during live-migration operations, creating an unauthorized access vector that fundamentally undermines the security posture of virtualized environments. The flaw stems from the default deployment configuration where libvirtd binds to all network interfaces using the wildcard address 0.0.0.0 without implementing any authentication mechanisms or encryption protocols. This configuration exposes the virtualization management interface to potential attackers who can establish TCP connections to compute hosts regardless of their network location or interface type.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of network connectivity to compute hosts, enabling attackers to establish virsh sessions against the libvirtd instance. This access level provides attackers with comprehensive control over virtual machine instances hosted on the compromised system, potentially allowing for complete system takeover. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it can be exploited from multiple network perspectives including local loopback interfaces, management network addresses, and potentially external network interfaces that may have been inadvertently exposed. The absence of authentication and encryption mechanisms means that any entity capable of establishing a TCP connection to the libvirtd service can gain administrative control over the virtualization layer, making this a severe privilege escalation vulnerability.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates a significant risk to cloud infrastructure security and data integrity. Attackers exploiting this flaw can manipulate virtual machine instances, potentially leading to data breaches, service disruption, and complete system compromise. The vulnerability affects the core virtualization management capabilities of OpenStack deployments, potentially allowing attackers to move between virtual machines, access sensitive data, or even gain root access to the underlying host systems. This represents a fundamental failure in the principle of least privilege and network segmentation, as the libvirtd service becomes accessible without proper authentication mechanisms. The impact extends beyond individual virtual machines to potentially compromise entire compute node infrastructures, particularly in multi-tenant environments where isolation is critical.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) and CWE-310 (Cryptographic Issues) categories, reflecting both the authentication failure and the lack of encryption in the system. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving privilege escalation through service manipulation and remote code execution via network access. The recommended mitigations include implementing proper network segmentation to isolate the libvirtd service, configuring authentication mechanisms such as TLS certificates, and restricting network access to the service using firewall rules. Additionally, organizations should implement mandatory access controls, regularly audit service configurations, and ensure that default installations do not expose critical management interfaces without explicit security controls. The fix requires reconfiguring libvirtd to bind only to specific interfaces with authentication enabled, which aligns with security best practices for privileged services and represents a fundamental requirement for maintaining secure virtualized environments.