CVE-2020-17517 in Ozone
Summary
by MITRE • 04/27/2021
The S3 buckets and keys in a secure Apache Ozone Cluster must be inaccessible to anonymous access by default. The current security vulnerability allows access to keys and buckets through a curl command or an unauthenticated HTTP request. This enables unauthorized access to buckets and keys thereby exposing data to anonymous clients or users. This affected Apache Ozone prior to the 1.1.0 release. Improper Authorization vulnerability in __COMPONENT__ of Apache Ozone allows an attacker to __IMPACT__. This issue affects Apache Ozone Apache Ozone version 1.0.0 and prior versions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/02/2021
The vulnerability described in CVE-2020-17517 represents a critical improper authorization flaw within Apache Ozone's storage subsystem that fundamentally compromises the security model of the distributed storage system. This issue affects Apache Ozone versions 1.0.0 and prior, specifically targeting the S3 compatibility layer that allows external clients to interact with the storage cluster using standard S3 APIs. The vulnerability stems from the failure to properly enforce access controls at the bucket and key level, creating a default insecure configuration where anonymous users can directly access storage resources without authentication. The flaw manifests when unauthenticated HTTP requests or curl commands are executed against the Ozone cluster, bypassing the intended security boundaries that should protect sensitive data stored within the system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the absence of proper authorization checks within the S3-compatible API layer of Apache Ozone. When clients make requests to access buckets or keys through HTTP endpoints, the system fails to validate whether the requesting entity has proper credentials or authorization rights. This allows any anonymous client to enumerate and retrieve data from storage buckets, effectively creating a backdoor that exposes all data stored within the cluster to unauthorized access. The vulnerability specifically impacts the cluster's default security configuration where access control lists and authentication mechanisms are either not properly enforced or are bypassed entirely for S3 API endpoints. This flaw directly violates security principles that require explicit authorization for all data access operations, creating a scenario where sensitive information can be accessed by anyone who knows the cluster's network address and can make HTTP requests.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and far-reaching, as it allows attackers to perform data exfiltration, information disclosure, and potential data manipulation activities without any authentication requirements. Organizations using Apache Ozone deployments that have not upgraded to version 1.1.0 or later are exposed to immediate risks of data breaches, compliance violations, and potential regulatory penalties. The vulnerability enables attackers to perform reconnaissance activities by enumerating available buckets and keys, followed by unauthorized data access and potential data loss. This issue directly maps to CWE-285 (Improper Authorization) and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 (Valid Accounts) and T1567 (Exfiltration Over Web Service) as attackers can leverage this vulnerability to access and extract sensitive data without needing to establish legitimate credentials. The exposure affects not just individual files but entire storage buckets, potentially compromising large volumes of organizational data that may contain sensitive information, personal data, or proprietary business information.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including upgrading to Apache Ozone version 1.1.0 or later where this vulnerability has been addressed through proper authorization enforcement mechanisms. The recommended approach involves ensuring that all S3-compatible API endpoints properly validate authentication tokens and access control permissions before allowing any data access operations. Network-level mitigations should include firewall rules that restrict access to Ozone cluster endpoints to authorized networks only, while also implementing proper ingress and egress controls. Security administrators should conduct thorough audits of existing cluster configurations to ensure that default security settings have been properly enforced and that no anonymous access permissions have been inadvertently granted. Additionally, organizations should implement monitoring solutions that can detect and alert on unauthorized access attempts to storage resources, particularly focusing on unusual patterns of bucket enumeration or data retrieval that may indicate exploitation of this vulnerability. The fix implemented in version 1.1.0 addresses the root cause by enforcing proper access control mechanisms that require valid authentication for all S3 API operations, thereby preventing the unauthorized access patterns that were previously possible through simple HTTP requests or curl commands.