CVE-2018-0039 in Contrail Service Orchestration
Summary
by MITRE
Juniper Networks Contrail Service Orchestration releases prior to 4.0.0 have Grafana service enabled by default with hardcoded credentials. These credentials allow network based attackers unauthorized access to information stored in Grafana or exploit other weaknesses or vulnerabilities in Grafana.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/06/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-0039 affects Juniper Networks Contrail Service Orchestration versions prior to 4.0.0, presenting a critical security weakness that stems from improper credential management within the Grafana service component. This flaw represents a classic example of hard-coded credentials in network infrastructure software, where default administrative credentials are embedded within the application code rather than being dynamically generated or securely configured during deployment. The vulnerability manifests as a default configuration that leaves the Grafana monitoring service accessible without proper authentication mechanisms, creating an attack surface that directly violates security best practices outlined in industry standards such as CWE-798. The presence of hardcoded credentials in production systems constitutes a fundamental failure in secure configuration management and represents a significant risk to organizations relying on Juniper's Contrail platform for service orchestration.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through network-based attacks that target the default Grafana service endpoint, which remains active and accessible without requiring authentication. Attackers can leverage these hardcoded credentials to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information stored within the Grafana instance, including potentially confidential monitoring data, system configurations, and operational insights that would normally be restricted to authorized personnel. This unauthenticated access capability allows threat actors to perform reconnaissance activities, extract valuable operational data, and potentially use the Grafana service as a foothold for further exploitation within the network infrastructure. The vulnerability directly enables privilege escalation attacks and data exfiltration scenarios that would be significantly more difficult to achieve if proper authentication mechanisms were in place, making this issue particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where Contrail Service Orchestration manages critical network services.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-0039 extends beyond immediate unauthorized access to encompass broader security implications for organizations using Juniper Contrail platforms. The vulnerability creates persistent security risks that remain active until the affected software is properly updated or the default Grafana service is disabled, potentially exposing organizations to prolonged periods of unauthorized access. Network administrators face increased operational overhead in monitoring and securing these default services, while the presence of hardcoded credentials in production systems undermines the overall security posture and compliance requirements for organizations subject to regulatory frameworks such as pci dss, hipaa, or soc 2. The vulnerability also demonstrates poor security hygiene in software development practices, where default configurations fail to follow the principle of least privilege and default to insecure states that require explicit security hardening by administrators.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement mitigations including disabling the default Grafana service, updating to Juniper Contrail Service Orchestration version 4.0.0 or later, and implementing proper access controls for any remaining monitoring services. The remediation process should involve comprehensive security assessments to identify any unauthorized access that may have occurred during the vulnerability's active period, along with enhanced monitoring of network services to detect suspicious activities. Security teams should also conduct regular configuration audits to ensure that default services are properly secured and that no hardcoded credentials exist within their infrastructure components. This vulnerability highlights the importance of following security frameworks such as those outlined in the mitre att&ck matrix where initial access through default credentials represents a common attack pattern that can lead to more sophisticated compromise techniques. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and access control measures to limit the potential impact of such vulnerabilities and ensure that monitoring services are properly isolated from unauthorized network access.