CVE-2018-8042 in Ambari
Summary
by MITRE
Apache Ambari, version 2.5.0 to 2.6.2, passwords for Hadoop credential stores are exposed in Ambari Agent informational log messages when the credential store feature is enabled for eligible services. For example, Hive and Oozie.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/08/2020
Apache Ambari versions 2.5.0 through 2.6.2 contain a critical information exposure vulnerability that compromises the security of Hadoop credential stores through improper logging of sensitive authentication data. This vulnerability arises when the credential store feature is enabled for services such as Hive and Oozie, where passwords and other sensitive credentials are inadvertently written to informational log files at the agent level. The flaw represents a direct violation of security best practices for credential management and logging, as it exposes authentication material that should remain protected within secure credential storage mechanisms. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-200 as exposure of sensitive information and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1552.2 for credentials in files, demonstrating how insecure logging practices can lead to credential compromise. The technical implementation of this flaw occurs because the Ambari Agent fails to properly sanitize log output when processing credential store operations, resulting in plaintext passwords being visible in log messages that are typically accessible to system administrators and monitoring tools.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it creates an attack surface that can be exploited by malicious actors with access to the Ambari Agent logs. An attacker who gains read access to these log files can extract passwords for various Hadoop services, potentially enabling lateral movement within the cluster and access to other systems that rely on the same credentials. The vulnerability affects the core security architecture of Hadoop deployments by undermining the principle of least privilege and credential isolation that credential stores are designed to enforce. Organizations using Ambari with credential store features face significant risk of credential theft, particularly in environments where log files are not properly secured or where multiple users have access to system logs. This exposure creates a pathway for attackers to escalate privileges and gain unauthorized access to critical data stores, making it a high-severity issue that requires immediate remediation.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both the immediate exposure and the underlying architectural flaw in the logging mechanism. Organizations should implement strict log access controls and ensure that credential store information is not written to informational level logs, requiring configuration changes to the Ambari Agent logging levels and filters. The recommended approach includes upgrading to Apache Ambari version 2.7.0 or later, where this vulnerability has been addressed through improved credential handling and logging sanitization. Additionally, security teams should conduct comprehensive log reviews to identify and remove any previously exposed credentials, implementing automated monitoring for credential exposure in log files. System administrators should configure log rotation and retention policies that prevent sensitive data from persisting in accessible locations, while also ensuring that credential store operations are properly isolated from general logging mechanisms. The fix demonstrates the importance of secure coding practices in enterprise management tools and reinforces the need for regular security assessments of configuration management systems that handle sensitive authentication data.