CVE-2017-8131 in FusionSphere OpenStack
Summary
by MITRE
The FusionSphere OpenStack with software V100R006C00 and V100R006C10 has a command injection vulnerability due to the insufficient input validation on four TCP listening ports. An unauthenticated attacker can exploit the vulnerabilities to gain root privileges by sending some messages with malicious commands.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/11/2023
The FusionSphere OpenStack platform version V100R006C00 and V100R006C10 contains a critical command injection vulnerability that stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms across four TCP listening ports. This vulnerability represents a significant security flaw that allows unauthenticated remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands on the affected system. The flaw specifically manifests in the platform's failure to properly sanitize or validate input received through these network interfaces, creating an attack surface where malicious payloads can be injected and subsequently executed with elevated privileges. The vulnerability affects the core infrastructure management components of the OpenStack deployment, potentially compromising the entire cloud environment.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the four TCP listening ports that handle incoming communications from external sources. When these ports receive malformed or malicious input, the insufficient validation allows command injection payloads to bypass normal security controls. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it does not require authentication, meaning any external party can attempt exploitation without prior access credentials. Attackers can craft specially formatted messages containing malicious commands that get processed by the vulnerable components, ultimately executing these commands with root privileges due to the elevated permissions required for system-level operations. This represents a classic command injection flaw that aligns with CWE-77 and CWE-88 categories, where external input is directly incorporated into system commands without proper sanitization.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation to encompass complete system compromise and potential data breaches. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability gains root access to the FusionSphere OpenStack environment, enabling them to manipulate all system resources, access sensitive data, modify configurations, and potentially establish persistent backdoors. The implications are severe for cloud infrastructure deployments where FusionSphere OpenStack serves as the foundational platform for multiple tenants and applications. The vulnerability undermines the fundamental security model of the cloud environment, as it allows attackers to bypass traditional access controls and directly manipulate the underlying operating system. This type of attack vector is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where cloud platforms handle critical business data and applications, as it can lead to widespread service disruption and regulatory compliance violations.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to restrict access to the vulnerable TCP ports, deployment of network intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious traffic patterns, and implementation of input validation controls at the application level. The recommended approach involves applying vendor-provided patches or updates that address the insufficient input validation mechanisms, while also implementing additional security controls such as firewall rules that limit external access to the affected ports. Security teams should conduct thorough network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts and establish incident response procedures for rapid containment of any successful attacks. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of input validation controls and adheres to ATT&CK technique T1059 for command and scripting interpreter, where adversaries use legitimate system tools to execute malicious commands. Organizations should also consider implementing principle of least privilege configurations and regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities in their cloud infrastructure deployments.