CVE-2023-2358 in Vantara Pentaho Business Analytics Server
Summary
by MITRE • 09/27/2023
Hitachi Vantara Pentaho Business Analytics Server prior to versions 9.5.0.0 and 9.3.0.4, including 8.3.x.x, saves passwords of the Hadoop Copy Files step in plaintext.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/20/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-2358 affects Hitachi Vantara Pentaho Business Analytics Server versions prior to 9.5.0.0 and 9.3.0.4, including the 8.3.x.x series, represents a critical security flaw in credential storage mechanisms. This issue specifically targets the Hadoop Copy Files step functionality within the Pentaho analytics platform, where authentication credentials are persistently stored without adequate encryption or obfuscation. The flaw resides in the application's configuration management system that fails to implement proper cryptographic protection for sensitive authentication data, creating a persistent exposure risk for user credentials.
This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-312, which addresses the exposure of sensitive information through improper storage of credentials. The technical implementation flaw occurs when the Pentaho server processes Hadoop Copy Files steps, automatically saving authentication parameters including usernames and passwords to configuration files or databases in plaintext format. This design decision violates fundamental security principles for credential management and creates an attack surface where unauthorized users or processes with access to the system can directly extract these credentials without requiring additional exploitation techniques. The plaintext storage mechanism eliminates any form of encryption or hashing protection that would normally safeguard sensitive authentication data.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant across multiple attack vectors and threat scenarios. An attacker who gains access to the Pentaho server through any means can immediately extract stored Hadoop credentials, potentially enabling lateral movement within the network infrastructure and unauthorized access to Hadoop clusters and associated data stores. This exposure particularly affects organizations using Pentaho for big data analytics workflows where Hadoop integration is common, as the stolen credentials can be used to access sensitive data repositories, modify data processing pipelines, or perform unauthorized administrative functions on target Hadoop systems. The vulnerability also increases risk during system compromise scenarios where attackers can leverage these credentials to maintain persistence and escalate privileges.
Security professionals should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to patched versions 9.5.0.0 or 9.3.0.4, which address the plaintext credential storage issue through proper encryption mechanisms. Organizations should also conduct comprehensive audits of existing Pentaho configurations to identify and remove any stored plaintext credentials, implementing role-based access controls to limit system access, and establishing monitoring procedures to detect unauthorized access attempts. Additionally, the vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1552.001 for credentials in files, where attackers can extract stored credentials from system files, and T1078.004 for valid accounts through cloud infrastructure, particularly relevant in big data environments where credential exposure can lead to broader system compromise. The remediation process should include re-implementation of credential storage using encrypted formats and regular security assessments to prevent similar issues in other configuration management components.