CVE-2018-3828 in Cloud Enterprise
Summary
by MITRE
Elastic Cloud Enterprise (ECE) versions prior to 1.1.4 contain an information exposure vulnerability. It was discovered that certain exception conditions would result in encryption keys, passwords, and other security sensitive headers being leaked to the allocator logs. An attacker with access to the logging cluster may obtain leaked credentials and perform authenticated actions using these credentials.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/25/2020
Elastic Cloud Enterprise version 1.1.3 and earlier contains a critical information exposure vulnerability that compromises the security of sensitive authentication data. This vulnerability stems from improper handling of exception conditions within the allocator component of the platform, where security-sensitive information including encryption keys, passwords, and authentication headers are inadvertently written to log files. The flaw represents a direct violation of security best practices and creates a significant attack surface for malicious actors who gain access to the logging infrastructure. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it allows attackers to obtain credentials that enable authenticated actions within the Elastic Cloud Enterprise environment, potentially leading to full system compromise. This issue directly maps to CWE-200, which defines information exposure vulnerabilities where sensitive data is unintentionally disclosed to unauthorized parties. The flaw demonstrates poor input validation and error handling practices that are commonly addressed through secure coding guidelines and defensive programming techniques.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when specific exception conditions are triggered within the allocator service, which is responsible for managing resource allocation in the Elastic Cloud Enterprise platform. During these error scenarios, the system fails to sanitize or filter sensitive data before logging, resulting in the persistence of authentication credentials and cryptographic keys in plaintext within log files. This represents a fundamental breakdown in the principle of least privilege and data protection, as the logging mechanism becomes a vector for credential leakage. Attackers who can access the logging cluster or have read permissions on log files can extract this sensitive information and use it to authenticate as legitimate users or system components. The impact extends beyond simple credential theft, as these leaked keys may enable lateral movement within the Elastic Cloud Enterprise environment and potentially provide access to underlying infrastructure components.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, affecting both the confidentiality and integrity of the Elastic Cloud Enterprise deployment. An attacker with access to the logging infrastructure can leverage the leaked credentials to perform authenticated actions, potentially gaining administrative privileges or accessing sensitive data stored within the Elastic Cloud Enterprise environment. This vulnerability undermines the trust model of the platform, as the logging mechanism which should provide operational insights becomes a source of security compromise. The exposure of encryption keys specifically threatens the confidentiality of encrypted data stored within the system, while password leaks can enable unauthorized access to various system components and services. The vulnerability also violates fundamental security principles outlined in the ATT&CK framework under the credential access and defense evasion tactics, as it provides attackers with legitimate means to maintain persistence and avoid detection. Organizations may face regulatory compliance violations and security audit failures due to this information exposure, particularly in environments governed by standards such as iso 27001 and pci dss.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of version updates to Elastic Cloud Enterprise 1.1.4 or later, which contain the necessary patches to address the logging behavior. Organizations should implement comprehensive log sanitization procedures to ensure that sensitive data is never written to log files under any circumstances, regardless of error conditions. Network segmentation and access controls should be enforced to limit access to logging infrastructure, ensuring that only authorized personnel can read log files containing sensitive information. Regular log monitoring and anomaly detection should be implemented to identify potential credential exposure events, while security information and event management systems should be configured to filter out sensitive data from log entries. Additionally, organizations should conduct regular security assessments to identify other potential information exposure vulnerabilities within their Elastic Cloud Enterprise deployments and implement comprehensive credential management practices including regular rotation of encryption keys and authentication credentials. The vulnerability highlights the importance of secure logging practices and proper error handling as outlined in secure coding standards and security frameworks such as the owasp secure coding practices and the nist cybersecurity framework.