CVE-2019-10165 in Container Platform
Summary
by MITRE
OpenShift Container Platform before version 4.1.3 writes OAuth tokens in plaintext to the audit logs for the Kubernetes API server and OpenShift API server. A user with sufficient privileges could recover OAuth tokens from these audit logs and use them to access other resources.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/14/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-10165 represents a critical security flaw in Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform versions prior to 4.1.3 where the system inadvertently logs OAuth tokens in plaintext format within audit logs generated by both the Kubernetes API server and OpenShift API server. This represents a significant deviation from secure logging practices and creates a substantial attack surface for malicious actors who possess sufficient privileges to access these audit log files. The flaw stems from inadequate configuration of audit logging mechanisms that fail to properly redact sensitive authentication tokens from the audit trail, violating fundamental security principles of least privilege and data protection. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-532, which specifically addresses information exposure through log files, and demonstrates how improper handling of sensitive data can create persistent security risks within container orchestration platforms.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs at the audit logging layer where authentication tokens are written to disk without proper sanitization or token redaction mechanisms. When the Kubernetes API server or OpenShift API server processes authentication requests, the OAuth tokens are captured in the audit log entries alongside other request metadata, creating a situation where these tokens become permanently stored in plaintext within log files. This flaw particularly affects environments where audit logging is enabled for compliance or security monitoring purposes, as the audit logs typically contain detailed information about API requests including headers, parameters, and authentication tokens. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because audit logs are often retained for extended periods and may be accessible to multiple system administrators or security personnel, creating multiple potential attack vectors for privilege escalation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure to create opportunities for privilege escalation and unauthorized access to protected resources. An attacker who gains access to the audit log files could extract OAuth tokens and use them to impersonate legitimate users or applications, potentially gaining access to sensitive data, system resources, or other user accounts within the OpenShift environment. This creates a persistent threat vector that remains active even after the original authentication event has occurred, as the tokens remain accessible in the log files for as long as they are retained. The vulnerability also impacts compliance requirements for organizations that must maintain strict controls over authentication tokens and access credentials, as the plaintext storage of these tokens violates many regulatory frameworks including those outlined in the NIST Cybersecurity Framework and ISO 27001 standards.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to OpenShift Container Platform version 4.1.3 or later where the vulnerability has been addressed through proper audit log token redaction mechanisms. Additional defensive measures include implementing strict access controls over audit log files, enabling encryption of log data at rest, and configuring audit log retention policies to minimize the window of opportunity for token recovery. Security teams should also consider implementing log monitoring solutions that can detect and alert on the presence of authentication tokens in log files, providing additional layers of protection beyond the basic system-level fixes. The remediation process should include thorough review of existing audit logs to identify and invalidate any tokens that may have been exposed, along with implementing comprehensive logging policies that ensure sensitive data is never stored in plaintext within system logs. This vulnerability highlights the importance of proper security configuration management and demonstrates how seemingly minor logging configuration issues can create significant security risks in enterprise container platforms.