CVE-2024-7142 in CloudVision Appliance
Summary
by MITRE • 01/11/2025
On Arista CloudVision Appliance (CVA) affected releases running on appliances that support hardware disk encryption (DCA-350E-CV only), the disk encryption might not be successfully performed. This results in the disks remaining unsecured and data on them
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/11/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-7142 affects the Arista CloudVision Appliance (CVA) platform, specifically targeting the DCA-350E-CV hardware model that supports hardware disk encryption capabilities. This issue represents a critical failure in the appliance's security infrastructure where the disk encryption mechanism fails to properly execute its intended function. The vulnerability stems from a fundamental flaw in the encryption implementation process that prevents the system from successfully encrypting the storage devices, leaving all data stored on these disks in an unsecured state. The affected hardware platform is designed with built-in disk encryption support, but the software implementation fails to properly engage this security feature, creating a significant risk for organizations relying on this appliance for network management and monitoring.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the improper handling of the disk encryption initialization process within the CVA software stack. When the appliance attempts to perform disk encryption, the system fails to complete the encryption sequence correctly, resulting in a state where the encryption keys are not properly installed or the encryption algorithms are not properly applied to the storage media. This failure mode is particularly concerning because it operates silently without alerting administrators to the encryption failure, creating a false sense of security. The vulnerability manifests as an incomplete encryption process where the system reports successful completion while the actual disk encryption remains disabled or partially implemented, leaving sensitive network configuration data, monitoring information, and operational logs vulnerable to unauthorized access.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as it fundamentally undermines the security posture of network infrastructure management systems. Organizations using the DCA-350E-CV appliance may unknowingly store critical network management data in an unencrypted state, potentially exposing configuration details, network topology information, performance metrics, and other sensitive operational data. This vulnerability directly violates the principle of least privilege and data protection requirements that are essential for network security management systems. The risk is compounded by the fact that the appliance typically operates in environments with high-security requirements, where network monitoring and management data often contains information that could be leveraged for network reconnaissance, privilege escalation, or lateral movement attacks. According to CWE-310, this represents a weakness in cryptographic key management where the system fails to properly implement encryption mechanisms, while the ATT&CK framework would categorize this as a technique for Initial Access through compromised system integrity.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-7142 require immediate action from affected organizations to address the encryption failure. The primary recommendation involves implementing manual verification procedures to confirm that disk encryption is properly functioning on affected appliances, including checking encryption status through available system interfaces and potentially reinstalling the appliance software to ensure proper encryption initialization. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as network segmentation, access controls, and monitoring for unauthorized access attempts to the appliance. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper cryptographic implementation and the need for robust error handling in security-critical functions. System administrators should verify that encryption keys are properly generated and stored, and that the encryption process completes successfully before considering the system secure. Regular security audits should be conducted to ensure that all storage devices on the appliance maintain proper encryption status, and organizations should consider implementing automated monitoring solutions that can detect encryption failures and alert security teams to potential security gaps in their network infrastructure management systems.