CVE-2019-3884 in atomic-openshift
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability exists in the garbage collection mechanism of atomic-openshift. An attacker able spoof the UUID of a valid object from another namespace is able to delete children of those objects. Versions 3.6, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, 3.10, 3.11 and 4.1 are affected.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/20/2023
The vulnerability described in CVE-2019-3884 represents a critical weakness in the garbage collection implementation of atomic-openshift systems, specifically affecting versions 3.6 through 3.11 and 4.1. This flaw resides within the core object management mechanisms that govern how resources are tracked and removed from the cluster. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of object identifiers during garbage collection operations, creating a pathway for unauthorized manipulation of resource hierarchies. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious UUIDs that mimic valid objects from different namespaces, thereby bypassing normal access controls and authorization checks that should prevent cross-namespace operations.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through a specific manipulation of the garbage collection process where an attacker can forge the universally unique identifier of a legitimate object belonging to another namespace. This spoofed UUID allows the attacker to traverse the object dependency tree and delete child resources that should remain protected by namespace isolation boundaries. The flaw essentially undermines the fundamental security principle of namespace separation that Kubernetes and OpenShift clusters rely upon for resource isolation. When the garbage collector processes these forged identifiers, it incorrectly assumes the deletion request originates from a legitimate source within the target namespace, enabling unauthorized removal of dependent resources. This mechanism operates at the core level of cluster resource management, making it particularly dangerous as it can affect critical system components and user workloads.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple resource deletion, potentially compromising entire cluster operations and data integrity. An attacker who successfully exploits this weakness can systematically dismantle object hierarchies, destroying not just individual resources but entire application stacks and dependencies. This could lead to service outages, data loss, and unauthorized access to sensitive information stored within affected namespaces. The vulnerability particularly threatens multi-tenant environments where proper namespace isolation is crucial for maintaining security boundaries between different users or applications. Organizations running affected versions of atomic-openshift are at risk of having their resource management systems compromised, potentially allowing attackers to escalate privileges and move laterally within the cluster environment.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-3884 require immediate attention and should include applying the latest security patches provided by Red Hat for the affected versions. Organizations must also implement enhanced monitoring of garbage collection activities and object deletion events to detect anomalous behavior patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) and can be mapped to ATT&CK techniques involving privilege escalation and resource hijacking. Network segmentation and strict RBAC policies should be enforced to limit the blast radius of potential exploitation, while regular security audits of object management processes can help identify unauthorized modifications. Additionally, implementing automated alerting for unusual UUID patterns during garbage collection operations provides an additional layer of defense against this specific class of attack. Organizations should also consider implementing comprehensive backup strategies to ensure rapid recovery in case of successful exploitation, as the damage can be extensive and potentially irreversible without proper safeguards in place.