CVE-2018-10861 in ceph mon
Summary
by MITRE
A flaw was found in the way ceph mon handles user requests. Any authenticated ceph user having read access to ceph can delete, create ceph storage pools and corrupt snapshot images. Ceph branches master, mimic, luminous and jewel are believed to be affected.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/06/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-10861 represents a critical authorization flaw in the Ceph monitoring daemon component that fundamentally undermines the integrity of storage pool management operations. This issue resides within the ceph mon service which serves as the central coordination point for all Ceph storage cluster operations, making it a prime target for privilege escalation attacks. The flaw specifically affects the handling of user requests in a manner that allows authenticated users with merely read permissions to execute destructive operations that should require elevated privileges. This misconfiguration creates a dangerous scenario where users can manipulate core storage infrastructure elements without proper authorization, directly violating the principle of least privilege that forms the foundation of secure system design.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and access control mechanisms within the ceph mon daemon's request processing pipeline. When authenticated users submit requests to modify storage pools or manipulate snapshot images, the system fails to properly verify whether the requesting user possesses the necessary write or administrative permissions. This weakness allows malicious actors to craft requests that bypass normal access controls, enabling them to delete existing storage pools, create new ones with potentially malicious configurations, or corrupt existing snapshot images that contain critical data. The flaw operates at the protocol level where user requests are processed without adequate authorization checks, making it particularly insidious as it can be exploited through legitimate authentication mechanisms.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-10861 extends far beyond simple data corruption, as it provides attackers with the ability to fundamentally disrupt storage cluster operations and compromise data integrity. Storage pool deletion can result in complete data loss for applications relying on those pools, while unauthorized pool creation may allow attackers to establish persistent storage footholds or redirect data flows. Snapshot image corruption can render backup operations ineffective and compromise disaster recovery capabilities, potentially leading to extended downtime and data recovery challenges. The affected Ceph versions including master, mimic, luminous, and jewel indicate this is a widespread issue affecting multiple release branches, suggesting the vulnerability stems from architectural design decisions rather than isolated implementation errors. This affects organizations running production storage clusters that depend on Ceph's distributed storage capabilities, particularly those in cloud computing, large-scale data centers, and enterprise storage environments where data availability and integrity are paramount.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including updating to patched versions of Ceph that address the authorization bypass vulnerability, implementing additional monitoring of storage pool modifications, and reviewing existing access control policies to ensure proper least privilege enforcement. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 which specifically addresses improper access control, and can be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and privilege escalation. Security teams should also consider implementing network segmentation to limit access to ceph mon services, deploying intrusion detection systems to monitor for anomalous pool modification activities, and conducting comprehensive audits of existing storage pool configurations to identify any unauthorized changes that may have already occurred. The remediation process must include thorough testing of updated systems to ensure that legitimate administrative operations continue to function properly while the vulnerability is eliminated.
This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper access control implementation in distributed storage systems where a single authorization flaw can provide attackers with extensive capabilities to manipulate core infrastructure components. The impact extends beyond immediate data loss scenarios to include potential service disruption, compliance violations, and damage to organizational reputation. Organizations should treat this vulnerability as a high-priority security concern requiring immediate attention, as the ability to delete, create, and corrupt storage pools represents a severe threat to storage cluster stability and data protection mechanisms. The widespread nature of affected Ceph versions indicates that organizations across multiple industries and deployment scenarios need to urgently assess their exposure and implement appropriate security measures to protect their distributed storage infrastructure.