CVE-2017-7214 in OpenStack
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in exception_wrapper.py in OpenStack Nova 13.x through 13.1.3, 14.x through 14.0.4, and 15.x through 15.0.1. Legacy notification exception contexts appearing in ERROR level logs may include sensitive information such as account passwords and authorization tokens.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/14/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-7214 resides within the exception_wrapper.py component of OpenStack Nova, affecting versions spanning across multiple release branches including 13.x through 13.1.3, 14.x through 14.0.4, and 15.x through 15.0.1. This issue represents a critical security flaw that exposes sensitive data through error logging mechanisms, creating potential attack vectors for malicious actors seeking unauthorized access to cloud infrastructure. The vulnerability specifically manifests when legacy notification exception contexts are processed and subsequently logged at ERROR level, where they inadvertently incorporate confidential information such as account passwords and authorization tokens.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from inadequate sanitization of exception contexts within the Nova notification system. When exceptions occur during legacy notification processing, the system fails to properly filter or remove sensitive data from the exception metadata before logging operations. This flaw directly relates to CWE-209, which describes "Information Exposure Through an Error Message" and CWE-312, addressing "Sensitive Data Exposure." The improper handling of exception contexts creates a situation where error logs become repositories of confidential information, as the logging mechanism does not distinguish between generic error details and sensitive authentication data. The vulnerability operates at the application level within the OpenStack Nova service, which serves as the core compute service responsible for managing virtual machine instances and their associated resources.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-7214 extends beyond immediate data exposure, creating cascading security implications for cloud environments that rely on OpenStack Nova for compute services. Attackers who gain access to error logs or monitoring systems can extract authentication tokens and passwords, potentially enabling them to escalate privileges, impersonate legitimate users, or gain unauthorized access to cloud resources. This vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.004, "Valid Accounts: Cloud Accounts," as compromised credentials can be used to establish persistent access to cloud infrastructure. The exposure of authorization tokens particularly undermines the security posture of cloud environments, as these tokens often provide elevated privileges and can be leveraged for further exploitation. Organizations may experience significant operational disruption when attackers utilize the stolen credentials to perform unauthorized operations within the cloud environment, potentially leading to data breaches, service disruption, and compliance violations.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-7214 require immediate implementation of proper log sanitization procedures and comprehensive configuration reviews. System administrators should implement log filtering mechanisms that automatically redact sensitive information from error logs before storage, ensuring that authentication tokens, passwords, and other confidential data are never persisted in error contexts. The recommended approach involves modifying the exception_wrapper.py component to explicitly sanitize exception metadata, removing or masking sensitive fields before logging operations. Organizations should also establish robust monitoring protocols to detect unauthorized access to error logs and implement role-based access controls to limit who can view system logs containing sensitive information. Additionally, upgrading to patched versions of OpenStack Nova that address this vulnerability is essential, as the official releases contain fixes that properly handle exception contexts and prevent sensitive data exposure. Security teams should conduct regular audits of their logging configurations and implement automated tools to scan log files for potential sensitive data exposure, aligning with security frameworks such as NIST SP 800-53 controls for audit and accountability.