CVE-2018-10884 in Ansible Tower
Summary
by MITRE
Ansible Tower before versions 3.1.8 and 3.2.6 is vulnerable to cross-site request forgery (CSRF) in awx/api/authentication.py. An attacker could exploit this by tricking already authenticated users into visiting a malicious site and hijacking the authtoken cookie.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/04/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-10884 affects Ansible Tower versions prior to 3.1.8 and 3.2.6, representing a critical cross-site request forgery weakness in the authentication module. This flaw exists within the awx/api/authentication.py file and demonstrates a fundamental failure in the web application's security architecture. The vulnerability allows attackers to manipulate authenticated sessions by exploiting the trust relationship between the web application and its users, creating a significant risk for organizations relying on Ansible Tower for automation and orchestration tasks.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of proper anti-CSRF token validation mechanisms within the authentication endpoint. When users are already authenticated to Ansible Tower, an attacker can craft malicious web pages or emails that, when visited by these authenticated users, automatically submit requests to the Ansible Tower API endpoints. The authentication token cookie, which is automatically included in requests due to the browser's automatic cookie handling, becomes the primary target for exploitation. This allows the attacker to perform unauthorized actions with the privileges of the authenticated user, potentially leading to complete system compromise.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or modification, as it enables attackers to hijack active user sessions and execute arbitrary commands within the Ansible Tower environment. Organizations using Ansible Tower for managing critical infrastructure automation, configuration management, and deployment workflows face severe consequences including unauthorized access to sensitive automation tasks, potential privilege escalation, and the ability to modify or delete automation jobs and credentials. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it requires no authentication from the attacker's side, relying solely on social engineering to trick victims into visiting malicious sites.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery conditions in web applications, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1078.004 for valid accounts and T1566 for phishing attacks. Organizations should immediately implement the recommended mitigations including upgrading to Ansible Tower versions 3.1.8 or 3.2.6 where the CSRF protection has been properly implemented. Additional defensive measures include implementing Content Security Policy headers, enabling proper CSRF token validation, and conducting regular security assessments of web applications. Network segmentation and monitoring for unusual authentication patterns can also help detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability underscores the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing comprehensive web application security controls to prevent session hijacking and unauthorized access to privileged automation platforms.