CVE-2018-1117 in ovirt-ansible-roles
Summary
by MITRE
ovirt-ansible-roles before version 1.0.6 has a vulnerability due to a missing no_log directive, resulting in the 'Add oVirt Provider to ManageIQ/CloudForms' playbook inadvertently disclosing admin passwords in the provisioning log. In an environment where logs are shared with other parties, this could lead to privilege escalation.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/28/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-1117 affects the ovirt-ansible-roles software package prior to version 1.0.6, specifically within the 'Add oVirt Provider to ManageIQ/CloudForms' playbook. This issue represents a critical configuration flaw that exposes sensitive administrative credentials through improper logging mechanisms. The vulnerability arises from the absence of a no_log directive in the ansible playbook, which is a fundamental security control designed to prevent sensitive data from being recorded in log files during playbook execution.
The technical flaw stems from the ansible playbook's failure to implement proper data sanitization and logging controls for administrative credentials. When the playbook executes the provisioning process to add an oVirt provider to ManageIQ or CloudForms, it inadvertently captures and logs administrator passwords in plain text format. This occurs because ansible's default behavior does not automatically mask sensitive variables, and the playbook lacks the explicit no_log parameter that would prevent such disclosure. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-209, which deals with generation of error messages containing sensitive information, and aligns with CWE-532, which addresses information exposure through log files.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential exposure, creating potential pathways for privilege escalation and unauthorized system access. When logs containing administrative passwords are shared with other parties or stored in accessible locations, attackers can exploit this information to gain elevated privileges within the managed infrastructure. This scenario particularly affects environments where logging practices include sharing audit trails with third parties or where log retention policies do not adequately protect sensitive information. The vulnerability enables attackers to move laterally within the network and potentially compromise the entire oVirt infrastructure, as administrative credentials provide broad access rights to virtualization resources.
Organizations implementing this vulnerable software should immediately upgrade to ovirt-ansible-roles version 1.0.6 or later to address the missing no_log directive. The remediation process involves adding appropriate no_log directives to all variables containing sensitive information within the affected playbook, ensuring that administrative credentials are not inadvertently logged during execution. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive log review processes to identify and purge any previously exposed credentials, while implementing mandatory logging controls that prevent sensitive data disclosure. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of following the principle of least privilege and proper input validation in automated provisioning processes, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1555.003 for credentials from password storage modules and T1078.004 for valid accounts in cloud environments. The incident highlights the necessity of implementing robust security controls in automation frameworks and the critical need for regular security assessments of configuration management tools to prevent information disclosure vulnerabilities that could compromise entire infrastructure ecosystems.