CVE-2022-31004 in cve-services
Summary
by MITRE • 06/02/2022
CVEProject/cve-services is an open source project used to operate the CVE services API. A conditional in 'data.js' has potential for production secrets to be written to disk. The affected method writes the generated randomKey to disk if the environment is not development. If this method were called in production, it is possible that it would write the plaintext key to disk. A patch is not available as of time of publication but is anticipated as a "hot fix" for version 1.1.1 and for the 2.x branch.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/05/2022
The CVE-2022-31004 vulnerability resides within the CVEProject/cve-services open source project, which operates the CVE services API infrastructure. This project serves as a critical component in the global cybersecurity ecosystem, managing vulnerability identification and cataloging processes. The flaw manifests in the data.js file where a conditional logic error creates a dangerous scenario for production environments. The vulnerability specifically relates to how the system handles cryptographic key generation and storage, creating a potential security risk that could compromise sensitive operational data.
The technical implementation flaw occurs in the conditional statement within the data.js file where the system determines whether to write a generated randomKey to disk. The logic incorrectly evaluates the environment state, specifically failing to properly distinguish between development and production contexts. When the environment is not identified as development, the system proceeds to write the generated randomKey to disk without proper sanitization or security considerations. This conditional logic error represents a fundamental flaw in the application's security architecture, where the system's operational context directly influences the handling of sensitive cryptographic material.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and potentially catastrophic for production systems. In a production environment, the system would inadvertently write plaintext cryptographic keys to disk, creating a significant security exposure. These plaintext keys could be accessed by unauthorized personnel or malicious actors with access to the system's file storage, potentially compromising the entire CVE services infrastructure. The vulnerability essentially creates a backdoor for attackers to gain access to sensitive cryptographic material that should remain protected and never stored in plaintext format. This represents a critical failure in the principle of least privilege and proper security key management practices.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-312 (Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information) and CWE-259 (Use of Hard-coded Password) which directly address the improper handling of sensitive data and cryptographic material. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1552.004 (Unsecured Credentials) and T1078 (Valid Accounts) as it could enable adversaries to obtain credentials through compromised key storage. The lack of immediate patch availability for version 1.1.1 and the 2.x branch creates a significant risk window where organizations using this software remain exposed to potential exploitation. The anticipated hotfix approach indicates the severity of the issue and the need for immediate remediation. Organizations should implement immediate operational mitigations such as monitoring for unexpected file creation patterns, restricting file system access to sensitive directories, and conducting thorough security reviews of all cryptographic material handling within their CVE services implementations.
Security practitioners should consider implementing additional monitoring controls to detect unauthorized file creation patterns and establish proper access controls for system directories where cryptographic keys might be stored. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of proper environment detection and the need for rigorous code reviews focusing on security-sensitive operations. Organizations should also consider implementing automated security scanning tools to identify similar conditional logic errors in their codebases and establish comprehensive incident response procedures for potential credential compromise scenarios.