CVE-2022-3248 in OpenShift
Summary
by MITRE • 10/25/2023
A flaw was found in OpenShift API, as admission checks do not enforce "custom-host" permissions. This issue could allow an attacker to violate the boundaries, as permissions will not be applied.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/27/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-3248 resides within the OpenShift API admission control mechanisms, representing a critical authorization flaw that undermines the platform's security boundaries. This weakness specifically affects the admission controller's enforcement of custom-host permissions, which are essential for maintaining proper access controls and resource isolation within containerized environments. The flaw demonstrates a fundamental breakdown in the principle of least privilege that is central to container orchestration security models.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the admission controller's failure to properly validate and enforce custom-host permissions during resource creation or modification operations. When users attempt to create or modify resources that should require specific host-level permissions, the system accepts these requests without proper authorization checks. This represents a classic authorization bypass vulnerability that allows malicious actors to escalate their privileges beyond what should be permitted by the system's access control policies. The issue falls under CWE-284, which specifically addresses improper access control, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.004 for valid accounts and privilege escalation through unauthorized resource manipulation.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-3248 extends beyond simple permission violations, as it enables attackers to potentially compromise the entire OpenShift cluster by manipulating resources that should be restricted to privileged users or specific roles. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to deploy malicious workloads, modify existing resources, or gain access to sensitive data that should be protected by custom-host permissions. The implications are particularly severe in multi-tenant environments where proper isolation between different user groups or applications is critical for maintaining security boundaries and compliance requirements.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patching of affected OpenShift versions, followed by comprehensive review of existing admission controller configurations and permission policies. Organizations must ensure that custom-host permissions are properly enforced through updated admission control rules and that all resources requiring elevated privileges are properly validated before creation or modification. Security teams should also implement enhanced monitoring of admission controller activities and establish automated checks to detect unauthorized permission bypass attempts. Additionally, regular security assessments of admission control mechanisms should be conducted to identify similar authorization gaps that could compromise cluster integrity. The vulnerability underscores the importance of maintaining strict separation of duties and proper access control enforcement in container orchestration platforms, as outlined in security frameworks such as the NIST Cybersecurity Framework and ISO 27001 requirements for access control management.