CVE-2022-1902 in Advanced Cluster Security for Kubernetes
Summary
by MITRE • 09/02/2022
A flaw was found in the Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security for Kubernetes. Notifier secrets were not properly sanitized in the GraphQL API. This flaw allows authenticated ACS users to retrieve Notifiers from the GraphQL API, revealing secrets that can escalate their privileges.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/11/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-1902 resides within Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security for Kubernetes, a comprehensive security platform designed to protect containerized environments. This flaw represents a critical information disclosure issue that undermines the security posture of organizations relying on the platform for cluster monitoring and access control. The vulnerability specifically affects the GraphQL API component of the ACS system, which serves as the primary interface for querying and managing security configurations across Kubernetes clusters. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization practices within the API's response handling mechanisms.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the GraphQL API's failure to properly sanitize sensitive data when returning notifier configurations. When authenticated users query the API for notifier information, the system inadvertently includes credential material in the response payload without adequate obfuscation or removal of secret values. This occurs because the API does not implement proper data filtering or redaction mechanisms before transmitting sensitive information to requesting clients. The flaw affects the authentication model where users must possess valid credentials to access the system, but once authenticated, they can exploit this weakness to extract unauthorized information. The vulnerability manifests through standard GraphQL query operations that retrieve notifier configurations, making it particularly dangerous as it can be executed using legitimate user access.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it creates a direct pathway for privilege escalation within the security platform. An authenticated attacker with access to the ACS system can leverage this flaw to extract secrets from notifier configurations, potentially gaining access to credentials for external systems, notification services, or other sensitive components that rely on these secrets. This capability significantly weakens the overall security architecture of Kubernetes environments protected by Red Hat ACS, as it allows malicious actors to escalate their privileges from regular user access to potentially administrative or system-level capabilities. The vulnerability particularly impacts organizations that rely heavily on automated notification systems and external integrations, as these often contain sensitive authentication material that could be extracted through this vector.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-1902 should focus on immediate patching of the affected Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security for Kubernetes components, as well as implementing additional access controls and monitoring mechanisms. Organizations should ensure that all instances of the platform are updated to versions that address the improper sanitization of secret data in GraphQL responses. Network segmentation and API access controls should be strengthened to limit the scope of potential exploitation, while comprehensive logging and monitoring should be implemented to detect unauthorized queries for sensitive data. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-200, Information Exposure, and CWE-312, Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information, as it involves both the exposure of sensitive data through API responses and the improper handling of secret material. From an ATT&CK perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1566.002, Phishing, and T1078.004, Valid Accounts, as it can be exploited through legitimate user credentials to access sensitive information. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as API rate limiting, enhanced audit logging, and regular security assessments of their GraphQL endpoints to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being exploited in other components of their security infrastructure.