CVE-2017-4966 in RabbitMQ
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in these Pivotal RabbitMQ versions: all 3.4.x versions, all 3.5.x versions, and 3.6.x versions prior to 3.6.9; and these RabbitMQ for PCF versions: all 1.5.x versions, 1.6.x versions prior to 1.6.18, and 1.7.x versions prior to 1.7.15. RabbitMQ management UI stores signed-in user credentials in a browser's local storage without expiration, making it possible to retrieve them using a chained attack.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/02/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-4966 represents a critical security flaw in Pivotal RabbitMQ messaging systems that affects multiple version ranges across both standard RabbitMQ releases and RabbitMQ for PCF deployments. This issue stems from improper credential handling within the RabbitMQ management user interface, where user authentication tokens and credentials are persisted in browser local storage without any time-based expiration mechanism. The flaw exists across all 3.4.x and 3.5.x versions of RabbitMQ, as well as 3.6.x versions prior to 3.6.9, alongside specific versions of RabbitMQ for PCF including all 1.5.x releases and certain 1.6.x and 1.7.x versions that precede their respective security patches.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the management UI's storage mechanism which utilizes browser local storage to maintain user session information, including authentication credentials and access tokens. This approach fundamentally violates security best practices for session management and credential storage, as local storage entries persist indefinitely until explicitly removed by the application or user. The absence of automatic credential expiration creates a persistent attack surface where compromised credentials remain valid for extended periods, potentially spanning weeks or months depending on user behavior and system usage patterns. This design flaw directly aligns with CWE-521 Weak Password Requirements and CWE-312 Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Data, as it stores sensitive authentication information in an insecure manner without proper encryption or time-based expiration controls.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft, creating a chained attack vector that enables sophisticated adversaries to maintain persistent access to RabbitMQ management interfaces. Attackers can exploit this weakness by gaining access to a victim's browser session, either through direct compromise of the user's device, phishing attacks, or by leveraging other vulnerabilities in the same browser environment. Once credentials are stored in local storage, they can be retrieved by malicious scripts or applications running within the same browser context, potentially allowing attackers to escalate privileges, modify system configurations, access sensitive message queues, or perform administrative operations without requiring additional authentication. The persistence of these credentials makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous for environments where users maintain long-running browser sessions or where multiple users share systems, as compromised credentials can remain valid for extended periods and potentially be leveraged across multiple systems.
Organizations affected by CVE-2017-4966 should immediately implement comprehensive mitigation strategies including updating to patched versions of RabbitMQ and RabbitMQ for PCF, specifically versions 3.6.9 and later for standard RabbitMQ, and the corresponding patched releases for PCF environments. The recommended approach involves deploying the latest security patches that address the credential storage mechanism and implement proper session management with automatic expiration. Additionally, administrators should consider implementing network-level protections such as restricting access to management interfaces through firewall rules, requiring multi-factor authentication for management access, and implementing strict access controls using RabbitMQ's built-in authentication and authorization mechanisms. Organizations should also conduct thorough security assessments of their RabbitMQ deployments to identify any other potential credential storage vulnerabilities and consider implementing additional monitoring for unauthorized access attempts to management interfaces. The vulnerability's classification under the ATT&CK framework aligns with techniques such as credential access through web application vulnerabilities and privilege escalation through persistent access, making it a significant concern for organizations implementing zero-trust security models where such persistent credential exposure could undermine overall security posture and provide attackers with extended access windows.