CVE-2022-31098 in GitOps
Summary
by MITRE • 06/28/2022
Weave GitOps is a simple open source developer platform for people who want cloud native applications, without needing Kubernetes expertise. A vulnerability in the logging of Weave GitOps could allow an authenticated remote attacker to view sensitive cluster configurations, aka KubeConfg, of registered Kubernetes clusters, including the service account tokens in plain text from Weave GitOps's pod logs on the management cluster. An unauthorized remote attacker can also view these sensitive configurations from external log storage if enabled by the management cluster. This vulnerability is due to the client factory dumping cluster configurations and their service account tokens when the cluster manager tries to connect to an API server of a registered cluster, and a connection error occurs. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by either accessing logs of a pod of Weave GitOps, or from external log storage and obtaining all cluster configurations of registered clusters. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to use those cluster configurations to manage the registered Kubernetes clusters. This vulnerability has been fixed by commit 567356f471353fb5c676c77f5abc2a04631d50ca. Users should upgrade to Weave GitOps core version v0.8.1-rc.6 or newer. There is no known workaround for this vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/16/2022
The vulnerability CVE-2022-31098 affects Weave GitOps, an open source developer platform designed to enable cloud native application deployment without requiring Kubernetes expertise. This security flaw represents a critical information disclosure vulnerability that specifically targets the logging mechanisms within the platform's cluster management components. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of cluster connection errors within the client factory implementation, which inadvertently exposes sensitive cluster configurations including service account tokens in plain text within pod logs. This represents a significant risk to Kubernetes cluster security as it allows unauthorized access to authentication credentials that could be used to compromise the entire cluster infrastructure.
The technical flaw manifests when the cluster manager attempts to establish communication with an API server of a registered Kubernetes cluster and encounters a connection error. During this error condition, the client factory component dumps complete cluster configurations including service account tokens directly into the pod logs of the Weave GitOps management cluster. This behavior violates fundamental security principles by storing sensitive authentication information in plaintext within easily accessible log files. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-200 (Information Exposure) and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1565.001 (Data Manipulation) as it involves unauthorized access to sensitive configuration data that could be leveraged for privilege escalation and lateral movement within the target environment.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it enables authenticated remote attackers to gain access to sensitive cluster configurations that include service account tokens necessary for cluster management operations. An attacker who can access pod logs of the Weave GitOps management cluster or has access to external log storage systems can extract these credentials and subsequently use them to manage the registered Kubernetes clusters. This provides attackers with persistent access to multiple clusters and could enable them to deploy malicious workloads, exfiltrate data, or establish backdoor access. The vulnerability affects the core functionality of Weave GitOps by compromising the security of the management cluster and potentially all connected Kubernetes clusters. The exploitation requires minimal technical sophistication as it only requires access to log files rather than complex attack vectors, making it particularly dangerous in environments where log access is not properly restricted.
The vulnerability has been addressed through a specific code commit that modifies the client factory behavior to prevent the dumping of sensitive cluster configurations during connection errors. Users are advised to upgrade to Weave GitOps core version v0.8.1-rc.6 or newer to remediate this issue. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including restricting access to Weave GitOps pod logs, implementing proper log rotation and access controls, and monitoring for unauthorized log access attempts. The absence of a known workaround means that organizations must upgrade their Weave GitOps installations to prevent exploitation. This vulnerability highlights the importance of secure logging practices and proper credential handling in cloud native environments, particularly when dealing with authentication tokens and cluster configurations that provide administrative access to Kubernetes clusters. Security teams should conduct immediate assessments of their Weave GitOps deployments to identify affected versions and ensure proper patching across all management clusters.