CVE-2018-12467 in openbuildservice
Summary
by MITRE
Authorized users of the openbuildservice before 2.9.4 could delete packages by using a malicious request against projects having the OBS:InitializeDevelPackage attribute, a similar issue to CVE-2018-7689.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/29/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-12467 represents a critical access control flaw within the Open Build Service (OBS) platform affecting versions prior to 2.9.4. This security weakness specifically targets authorized users who possess certain privileges within the system, creating a scenario where malicious requests can be crafted to exploit the platform's package deletion capabilities. The vulnerability stems from improper validation of user requests when dealing with projects that have the OBS:InitializeDevelPackage attribute, which is typically used to establish development environments for software packages.
The technical flaw manifests through a privilege escalation mechanism that allows authenticated users to bypass normal access controls and execute unauthorized package deletion operations. When projects are configured with the OBS:InitializeDevelPackage attribute, they become susceptible to exploitation because the system fails to properly verify whether the requesting user has adequate permissions to perform destructive operations on packages within these specific project contexts. This issue shares similarities with CVE-2018-7689, indicating a broader pattern of insufficient input validation and access control enforcement within the OBS platform's package management subsystem.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data loss, as it enables attackers to disrupt development workflows and potentially compromise the integrity of software build processes. Authorized users who are granted access to projects with the OBS:InitializeDevelPackage attribute could maliciously delete critical packages, leading to broken builds, loss of development progress, and potential security implications for downstream dependencies. The vulnerability particularly affects organizations that rely heavily on OBS for continuous integration and software distribution, where package deletion could cause cascading failures in their build pipelines.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-285, which addresses insufficient authorization issues in software systems, and demonstrates how improper access control mechanisms can lead to privilege escalation attacks. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this represents a privilege escalation technique that leverages legitimate system functionality to achieve unauthorized actions, specifically falling under the category of "Access Token Manipulation" and "Exploitation for Privilege Escalation." Organizations should implement comprehensive access control policies and regularly audit their OBS configurations to ensure that users only possess the minimum necessary permissions for their roles. The recommended mitigation involves upgrading to OBS version 2.9.4 or later, which includes proper input validation and enhanced access control checks that prevent unauthorized package deletion operations. Additionally, system administrators should review and restrict the use of the OBS:InitializeDevelPackage attribute to only trusted users and implement monitoring solutions to detect anomalous deletion patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts.