CVE-2024-1342 in OpenShift
Summary
by MITRE • 02/16/2024
A flaw was found in OpenShift. The existing Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) protections in place do not properly protect GET requests, allowing for the creation of WebSockets via CSRF.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/15/2024
This vulnerability exists within the OpenShift platform's security framework, specifically targeting its Cross-Site Request Forgery protection mechanisms. The flaw represents a critical oversight in the application's defensive architecture where traditional CSRF safeguards designed to protect state-changing operations are insufficiently applied to GET requests. The vulnerability stems from the assumption that GET requests are inherently safe and do not require the same level of protection as POST or PUT operations, which creates an exploitable gap in the platform's security posture.
The technical exploitation occurs when an attacker crafts malicious web content that leverages the existing CSRF protection bypass to establish WebSocket connections through compromised user sessions. This is particularly concerning because WebSocket connections represent persistent communication channels that can be used for data exfiltration, command execution, or maintaining unauthorized access to the system. The flaw allows attackers to create these connections without proper authentication or authorization, effectively circumventing the platform's session management controls and potentially enabling full administrative access.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation as it provides attackers with persistent communication channels that can be used for advanced persistent threats. Once a WebSocket connection is established through CSRF, attackers can maintain long-term access to the system while evading traditional monitoring mechanisms that might detect short-lived HTTP requests. This vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of data within OpenShift environments, potentially allowing unauthorized users to gain access to sensitive container orchestration operations and associated resources.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing comprehensive CSRF protection across all request types including GET requests, particularly for operations that can establish persistent connections or modify system state. Organizations should ensure that proper validation tokens are implemented for all WebSocket handshake requests and that session management controls are enforced consistently throughout the platform. The solution aligns with CWE-352 standards for Cross-Site Request Forgery protection and addresses techniques documented in ATT&CK framework under T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for social engineering. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy headers and ensuring proper WebSocket authentication mechanisms are crucial defensive measures that should be deployed immediately to protect against this specific exploitation vector.