CVE-2020-14306 in service-mesh
Summary
by MITRE
An incorrect access control flaw was found in the operator, openshift-service-mesh/istio-rhel8-operator all versions through 1.1.3. This flaw allows an attacker with a basic level of access to the cluster to deploy a custom gateway/pod to any namespace, potentially gaining access to privileged service account tokens. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to data confidentiality and integrity as well as system availability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/17/2020
This vulnerability represents a critical access control flaw within the OpenShift Service Mesh operator component, specifically affecting versions through 1.1.3. The issue stems from improper privilege validation mechanisms that allow unauthorized users to deploy custom gateways and pods across any namespace within the cluster. The flaw operates at the operator level where the service mesh installation process fails to properly enforce namespace boundaries and access restrictions. According to CWE-284, this manifests as an improper access control vulnerability where the system grants excessive privileges to authenticated users who should only have limited access rights. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it enables attackers to escalate their privileges by leveraging service account tokens that are typically restricted to specific namespaces but are now accessible across the entire cluster.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker with basic cluster access attempts to create custom gateway resources or deploy pods that can access privileged service account tokens. These tokens typically contain credentials with elevated permissions that allow access to sensitive cluster resources, databases, or other systems. The flaw allows the attacker to bypass normal namespace isolation mechanisms, effectively breaking down the security boundaries that separate different parts of the cluster. This type of attack aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.004 which describes valid accounts used for lateral movement and privilege escalation. The impact extends beyond simple privilege escalation as the attacker can now potentially access confidential data, modify system configurations, and disrupt availability of services that should be isolated within specific namespaces.
The operational consequences of this vulnerability are severe and can lead to significant data breaches and system compromise. Attackers can leverage this flaw to gain access to sensitive information stored in other namespaces, potentially accessing customer data, application credentials, or system configuration details. The integrity of the entire cluster can be compromised as attackers can deploy malicious pods that monitor network traffic, exfiltrate data, or modify service mesh configurations to redirect traffic through malicious endpoints. Availability is also at risk as attackers can deploy resource-intensive pods that consume cluster resources or manipulate service mesh components to cause denial of service conditions. The vulnerability affects the core infrastructure of the service mesh, which is designed to provide secure communication between microservices, making it particularly dangerous for organizations relying on this technology for their cloud-native applications. Organizations should immediately update to versions that address this access control flaw and conduct thorough security audits to identify any potential exploitation attempts that may have occurred prior to the patch deployment.