CVE-2020-1746 in Ansible Engine
Summary
by MITRE
A flaw was found in the Ansible Engine affecting Ansible Engine versions 2.7.x before 2.7.17 and 2.8.x before 2.8.11 and 2.9.x before 2.9.7 as well as Ansible Tower before and including versions 3.4.5 and 3.5.5 and 3.6.3 when the ldap_attr and ldap_entry community modules are used. The issue discloses the LDAP bind password to stdout or a log file if a playbook task is written using the bind_pw in the parameters field. The highest threat from this vulnerability is data confidentiality.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/22/2022
This vulnerability resides within the Ansible Engine ecosystem and represents a critical information disclosure flaw that affects multiple versions of both Ansible Core and Ansible Tower. The vulnerability specifically impacts the ldap_attr and ldap_entry community modules when used in playbook tasks that include the bind_pw parameter. The flaw occurs during the execution of Ansible playbooks where sensitive authentication credentials are inadvertently exposed through standard output streams or log files, creating a significant risk to organizational security infrastructure. This issue demonstrates a fundamental failure in credential handling and output sanitization within the Ansible automation framework.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper handling of sensitive parameters within Ansible's module execution pipeline. When administrators utilize the ldap_attr and ldap_entry modules with the bind_pw parameter in their playbooks, the system fails to properly sanitize or redact this credential information before logging or outputting it to stdout. This behavior directly violates security best practices for credential management and represents a clear violation of CWE-200 (Information Exposure) and CWE-532 (Insertion of Sensitive Information into Log File). The flaw operates at the runtime execution level where parameter values are not adequately filtered or masked before being processed by the logging subsystem, allowing attackers to potentially capture these credentials through various means including log file analysis, command line output capture, or process monitoring.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential exposure to encompass broader security implications for organizations relying on Ansible for infrastructure automation. When attackers gain access to LDAP bind passwords through log files or stdout captures, they can establish persistent access to directory services and potentially escalate privileges within the network environment. This vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1552.001 (Credentials in Files) and T1078 (Valid Accounts) as it enables unauthorized access to legitimate authentication credentials. Organizations using Ansible for configuration management, deployment automation, or infrastructure provisioning face significant risk if their logs contain unredacted LDAP credentials, potentially allowing attackers to compromise directory services and gain unauthorized access to sensitive network resources.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate attention from system administrators and security teams. The primary solution involves upgrading to patched versions of Ansible Engine (2.7.17, 2.8.11, 2.9.7) and Ansible Tower (3.4.5, 3.5.5, 3.6.3) where the credential handling has been properly addressed. Organizations should also implement comprehensive log monitoring and sanitization policies to prevent credential exposure in log files, ensuring that sensitive parameters are masked or redacted before any logging occurs. Additionally, administrators should review existing playbooks to identify and remediate any instances where bind_pw parameters are used without proper credential handling. The vulnerability highlights the importance of implementing principle of least privilege for automation tools and establishing secure configuration management practices that prevent accidental credential disclosure through automated processes. Organizations should also consider implementing additional monitoring controls to detect unauthorized access attempts using compromised credentials and establish incident response procedures for credential exposure events.