CVE-2018-14620 in rabbitmq
Summary
by MITRE
The OpenStack RabbitMQ container image insecurely retrieves the rabbitmq_clusterer component over HTTP during the build stage. This could potentially allow an attacker to serve malicious code to the image builder and install in the resultant container image. Version of openstack-rabbitmq-container and openstack-containers as shipped with Red Hat Openstack 12, 13, 14 are believed to be vulnerable.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/08/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-14620 resides within the OpenStack RabbitMQ container image build process, representing a critical supply chain security flaw that undermines the integrity of containerized cloud infrastructure components. This issue manifests during the image construction phase when the build system attempts to fetch the rabbitmq_clusterer component over an unencrypted HTTP connection rather than utilizing secure HTTPS transport. The fundamental flaw lies in the absence of cryptographic verification mechanisms during the retrieval process, creating an attack surface where malicious actors can intercept and modify the downloaded component before it is incorporated into the final container image. This insecure practice directly violates security best practices outlined in industry standards such as CWE-319, which specifically addresses the exposure of sensitive information through the use of insecure communication channels.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond the immediate build process, as it creates a persistent threat vector that can compromise the entire OpenStack deployment ecosystem. When the vulnerable container images are deployed across Red Hat OpenStack versions 12, 13, and 14, any malicious code injected into the rabbitmq_clusterer component becomes permanently embedded within the container, potentially allowing attackers to establish persistent backdoors or execute arbitrary commands within the cloud infrastructure. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that RabbitMQ serves as a critical messaging broker component in OpenStack environments, making this vulnerability a prime target for attackers seeking to gain elevated privileges or disrupt cloud operations. This flaw aligns with ATT&CK technique T1554, which describes the use of component interaction to achieve persistence and privilege escalation within cloud environments.
The security implications of this vulnerability are compounded by the fact that the build process occurs in an environment where attackers may have control over network traffic between the build system and external repositories. This attack vector enables man-in-the-middle attacks where malicious actors can intercept HTTP requests and serve modified versions of the rabbitmq_clusterer component, effectively poisoning the container image supply chain. The vulnerability affects not just individual deployments but entire OpenStack installations that rely on these container images, creating a widespread security risk across organizations using Red Hat OpenStack platforms. Organizations that have not patched their container images remain exposed to potential compromise through this insecure retrieval mechanism, which represents a fundamental failure in secure software supply chain practices and violates the principles of secure configuration management as outlined in security frameworks such as NIST SP 800-171.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of secure build practices, including the modification of container build scripts to enforce HTTPS retrieval of all external components and the implementation of cryptographic verification mechanisms such as checksum validation. Organizations should update their container image build processes to utilize secure protocols and validate the integrity of all downloaded components through cryptographic hashes before incorporating them into container images. The remediation approach should also include network-level controls to prevent unauthorized access to build systems and the implementation of secure software supply chain practices that align with industry standards such as the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) Secure Coding Practices. Additionally, organizations should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments of their container image repositories to identify and remediate similar insecure retrieval patterns across their entire infrastructure, ensuring that all external dependencies are fetched through secure channels with proper integrity verification mechanisms in place to prevent future occurrences of this class of vulnerability.