CVE-2024-11029 in Enterprise Linux 7
Summary
by MITRE • 01/15/2025
A flaw was found in the FreeIPA API audit, where it sends the whole FreeIPA command line to journalctl. As a consequence, during the FreeIPA installation process, it inadvertently leaks the administrative user credentials, including the administrator password, to the journal database. In the worst-case scenario, where the journal log is centralized, users with access to it can have improper access to the FreeIPA administrator credentials.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/05/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-11029 represents a critical security flaw within the FreeIPA authentication infrastructure that directly impacts the confidentiality and integrity of administrative credentials. FreeIPA is an integrated identity management solution that combines Red Hat IdM, 389 Directory Server, and MIT Kerberos to provide centralized authentication and authorization services for enterprise environments. The flaw manifests in the API audit logging mechanism where the complete command line execution is transmitted to the system journal through journalctl, creating an unintended information disclosure channel that compromises the security posture of the entire identity management ecosystem.
This technical vulnerability stems from improper logging practices within the FreeIPA installation process where command line arguments containing sensitive administrative credentials are inadvertently persisted in the system's journal database. The flaw specifically affects the audit logging functionality that is designed to track API operations for security monitoring and compliance purposes. However, the implementation fails to properly sanitize or filter command line parameters before writing them to the journal system, resulting in the exposure of administrative passwords and other privileged credentials. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-209, Information Exposure Through an Error Message, and more specifically aligns with CWE-312, Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information, as the credentials are stored in plain text within the journal logs.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential exposure to encompass broader security implications for enterprise environments relying on FreeIPA for identity management. During the installation process, when administrative commands are executed with elevated privileges, the complete command line including password parameters is logged to the system journal, which can be accessed by any user or process with appropriate permissions to read the journal logs. When journal logs are centralized for monitoring, compliance, or troubleshooting purposes, this creates a significant attack surface where unauthorized personnel with access to the centralized logging infrastructure can extract administrative credentials. This exposure undermines the principle of least privilege and allows potential attackers to gain unauthorized administrative access to the FreeIPA environment, which could lead to complete compromise of the identity management infrastructure.
The attack surface for this vulnerability is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where centralized logging is standard practice for security monitoring and compliance requirements. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1562.006, "Impair Defenses: Indicator Removal on Host", as the exposure of administrative credentials can enable attackers to bypass security controls and modify system configurations. Additionally, it relates to T1078, "Valid Accounts", as compromised administrative credentials can be used to maintain persistent access to the identity management infrastructure. Organizations using FreeIPA in production environments should consider this vulnerability as a high-priority issue requiring immediate remediation, as it provides attackers with direct access to administrative capabilities that could be used to compromise the entire identity management ecosystem.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-11029 should focus on implementing proper input sanitization and logging practices within the FreeIPA installation process. The most effective immediate solution involves modifying the API audit logging mechanism to strip or mask sensitive parameters from command line arguments before they are written to journal logs. Organizations should also implement strict access controls on journal log systems, ensuring that only authorized personnel have access to administrative logs containing sensitive information. Regular log reviews and monitoring should be implemented to detect any unauthorized access attempts to sensitive log data. Additionally, the implementation of centralized logging with proper filtering and access controls can help prevent the exposure of administrative credentials in case of future similar vulnerabilities. Security teams should also consider implementing credential rotation procedures and monitoring for unauthorized administrative access attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of following secure coding practices and proper input validation in security-critical applications, emphasizing the need for regular security assessments of identity management systems to prevent similar information disclosure vulnerabilities from emerging in other components of the infrastructure.