CVE-2017-2638 in Infinispan
Summary
by MITRE
It was found that the REST API in Infinispan before version 9.0.0 did not properly enforce auth constraints. An attacker could use this vulnerability to read or modify data in the default cache or a known cache name.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/09/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-2638 represents a critical authorization flaw within the REST API implementation of Infinispan versions prior to 9.0.0. This issue stems from insufficient authentication and access control enforcement mechanisms that allow unauthorized parties to bypass security measures and gain inappropriate access to cached data. The flaw specifically affects the default cache configuration and known cache names, creating a significant attack surface that could be exploited by malicious actors. The vulnerability demonstrates a clear failure in the principle of least privilege and proper access control enforcement, which are fundamental security requirements for distributed caching systems.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs at the REST API layer where authentication checks are either missing or improperly validated. When users interact with the Infinispan REST endpoints, the system fails to adequately verify credentials or roles before granting access to cache operations. This allows attackers to perform unauthorized read and write operations against the default cache or any cache with a known name, effectively breaking the security boundaries that should protect sensitive data. The flaw is particularly concerning because it operates at the application layer where RESTful interfaces typically handle data access requests, making it accessible through standard HTTP protocols and common attack vectors.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates substantial risk for organizations relying on Infinispan for data caching and distributed computing. Attackers could potentially extract sensitive information from default caches, modify critical data structures, or even disrupt service availability through malicious cache operations. The default cache configuration often contains application data, session information, or other sensitive content that should remain protected from unauthorized access. This vulnerability directly violates security standards such as those defined in CWE-285 which addresses improper authorization, and aligns with ATT&CK techniques related to privilege escalation and data manipulation. The impact extends beyond simple information disclosure to include potential system integrity compromise and denial of service scenarios.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including upgrading to Infinispan version 9.0.0 or later where the authorization flaws have been addressed. The upgrade process should include comprehensive testing of all REST API endpoints to ensure proper authentication enforcement and access control validation. Additional defensive measures include implementing network-level access controls to restrict REST API endpoints, configuring proper authentication mechanisms such as OAuth or API keys, and establishing monitoring for unauthorized access attempts. Security teams should also conduct thorough audits of cache configurations to identify any custom cache names that might be vulnerable and implement proper access control policies for all cache resources. The remediation approach should follow established security frameworks that emphasize defense in depth and proper access control implementation as outlined in industry standards for secure system design and deployment.