CVE-2018-1841 in Cloud Private
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Cloud Private 2.1.0 could allow a local user to obtain the CA Private Key due to it being world readable in boot/master node. IBM X-Force ID: 150901.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/11/2023
This vulnerability exists in IBM Cloud Private version 2.1.0 where the Certificate Authority private key is stored in a location that is world-readable on the boot/master node. The flaw represents a critical security misconfiguration that allows any local user with access to the system to extract the private key material. This configuration directly violates fundamental security principles of key management and privilege separation, as the private key should never be accessible to unprivileged users. The vulnerability stems from improper file permissions and access controls that fail to enforce the principle of least privilege. According to CWE-732, this represents an incorrect permission assignment where the system grants excessive permissions to sensitive files, specifically allowing world-read access to cryptographic key material. The impact of this vulnerability is severe as the CA private key controls the entire certificate hierarchy and enables an attacker to create fraudulent certificates that would be trusted by the system. This could lead to man-in-the-middle attacks, certificate forgery, and complete compromise of the encrypted communications within the cloud private environment. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the system level and does not require network access or external exploitation. It aligns with ATT&CK technique T1552.001 which involves the discovery of credentials in files, and T1003.001 which covers credential dumping through file system access. The local user can simply read the file containing the private key without requiring any authentication or network-based attacks, making this a straightforward privilege escalation vector.
The operational impact extends beyond immediate credential compromise as the private key can be used to generate valid certificates for any service within the cloud private environment. This enables attackers to impersonate legitimate services, decrypt communications, and potentially escalate privileges to other systems within the infrastructure. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of all data protected by certificates issued under this CA, including sensitive user data, application communications, and system management interfaces. Organizations using IBM Cloud Private 2.1.0 are exposed to significant risk as the compromise of a single node can result in widespread certificate trust violations throughout the entire system. The vulnerability also impacts compliance requirements for data protection and encryption standards, as proper key management practices are violated. According to industry standards for secure system administration, cryptographic keys must be protected through strict access controls and proper file permissions. The flaw demonstrates a failure in proper system hardening and configuration management practices that should have been implemented during the deployment and operational phases of the cloud private environment.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate remediation of file permissions and implementation of proper access controls. The private key file should be restricted to root or specific system administrators with appropriate access controls and audit logging enabled. Organizations should implement regular security audits to identify and correct similar permission misconfigurations across all system components. The fix requires changing file permissions to restrict access to the CA private key to only authorized personnel and system processes that require it for certificate operations. This aligns with NIST SP 800-53 security controls that mandate proper access control and key management procedures. System administrators should also implement monitoring and alerting for unauthorized access attempts to sensitive files and cryptographic key material. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing automated compliance checking tools that can identify and remediate similar misconfigurations across multiple systems. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining proper security configurations throughout the system lifecycle and implementing robust key management practices that include regular audits and access reviews. Proper incident response procedures should be established to detect and respond to unauthorized access attempts to cryptographic key material, as this type of compromise can go undetected for extended periods.