CVE-2022-1833 in AMQ
Summary
by MITRE • 06/21/2022
A flaw was found in AMQ Broker Operator 7.9.4 installed via UI using OperatorHub where a low-privilege user that has access to the namespace where the AMQ Operator is deployed has access to clusterwide edit rights by checking the secrets. The service account used for building the Operator gives more permission than expected and an attacker could benefit from it. This requires at least an already compromised low-privilege account or insider attack.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/22/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-1833 represents a significant privilege escalation flaw within the AMQ Broker Operator version 7.9.4 when deployed through the OperatorHub interface. This issue manifests as an over-permissioned service account configuration that inadvertently grants low-privilege users access to cluster-wide edit capabilities. The flaw specifically occurs during the installation process where the operator's service account is configured with excessive permissions beyond what is necessary for its operational functions. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it leverages the principle of least privilege violation, where the system grants more access rights than required for legitimate operations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the improper configuration of service accounts within the Kubernetes environment where the AMQ Broker Operator is deployed. When the operator is installed via OperatorHub, the underlying service account that facilitates the operator's functionality is provisioned with cluster-wide edit permissions rather than the restricted namespace-level permissions that would be appropriate for its role. This misconfiguration allows any user with access to the namespace where the operator is installed to potentially exploit the elevated permissions through secret enumeration and access patterns. The vulnerability creates a path for attackers to escalate their privileges from a low-privilege user account to cluster-wide administrative capabilities, effectively bypassing normal access controls and authorization mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation as it fundamentally undermines the security posture of Kubernetes clusters running affected AMQ Broker Operator versions. An attacker who has already compromised a low-privilege account or who has insider access to the namespace can leverage this flaw to gain unauthorized access to cluster resources, potentially leading to data exfiltration, system compromise, or disruption of services. The vulnerability's exploitation requires an initial foothold through a compromised account or insider threat, but once achieved, it provides attackers with extensive capabilities to move laterally within the cluster and potentially access other systems connected to the cluster. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where insider threats or compromised credentials are possible.
Security mitigations for CVE-2022-1833 should focus on immediate remediation of the service account permissions and implementation of proper role-based access controls. Organizations should immediately audit and restrict the permissions of the AMQ Broker Operator service account to match exactly what is required for its operational functions. The recommended approach involves implementing the principle of least privilege by reducing the service account permissions to only those necessary for the operator to function properly. Additionally, organizations should implement proper monitoring and alerting for unusual secret access patterns and privilege escalation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-276 which addresses improper permissions, and maps to ATT&CK techniques such as privilege escalation and credential access. The remediation process should include updating to patched versions of the AMQ Broker Operator, implementing proper RBAC policies, and conducting comprehensive security audits of all operator deployments to ensure similar misconfigurations do not exist in other components of the system.