CVE-2024-9683 in Quay
Summary
by MITRE • 10/17/2024
A vulnerability was found in Quay, which allows successful authentication even when a truncated password version is provided. This flaw affects the authentication mechanism, reducing the overall security of password enforcement. While the risk is relatively low due to the typical length of the passwords used (73 characters), this vulnerability can still be exploited to reduce the complexity of brute-force or password-guessing attacks. The truncation of passwords weakens the overall authentication process, thereby reducing the effectiveness of password policies and potentially increasing the risk of unauthorized access in the future.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/24/2025
CVE-2024-9683 represents a critical weakness in the Quay container registry authentication system that fundamentally undermines password security mechanisms through improper input handling. This vulnerability resides in the password validation logic where the system accepts truncated password versions during authentication attempts, creating a significant security gap that directly violates established password policy enforcement principles. The flaw manifests when users provide passwords that exceed the system's expected length, yet the authentication process fails to properly validate the full password length, allowing truncated versions to succeed in authentication. This behavior creates a direct pathway for attackers to exploit the system by submitting shortened password versions, effectively bypassing the intended security controls that should enforce strong password policies. The vulnerability maps to CWE-264, which specifically addresses privileges, access control, and authentication weaknesses in authentication systems, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1110.003 for credential access through brute force and password guessing attacks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs at the password validation layer within Quay's authentication subsystem, where the system processes user credentials through a flawed validation routine that does not adequately enforce password length requirements. When a user submits a password, the authentication service should validate that the complete password matches the stored hash, but instead accepts truncated versions that may be significantly shorter than the expected 73-character minimum. This truncation behavior creates a reduced search space for attackers attempting to compromise accounts through brute force methods, as they can focus their efforts on shorter password segments rather than the full 73-character complexity. The flaw essentially provides a backdoor mechanism where authentication bypass occurs through length-based manipulation, weakening the overall cryptographic strength that should protect the system.
The operational impact of CVE-2024-9683 extends beyond simple authentication bypass to fundamentally compromise the security posture of systems relying on Quay for container image management and access control. Organizations using Quay with this vulnerability face increased risk of unauthorized access to their container registries, which may contain sensitive application images, configuration data, and deployment artifacts. The reduced password complexity effectively lowers the computational effort required for successful credential guessing, making automated attack tools more effective against affected systems. Security teams must consider that this vulnerability could enable lateral movement within environments where Quay is used as a central authentication point for containerized applications, potentially allowing attackers to escalate privileges or access additional system resources. The impact is particularly concerning in environments where container security is paramount, as compromised registry access can lead to full system compromise through supply chain attacks or direct container exploitation.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-9683 should focus on immediate patch deployment and comprehensive security hardening of the authentication system. Organizations must ensure that all instances of Quay are updated to versions that properly enforce password length requirements and reject truncated password submissions during authentication. System administrators should implement additional monitoring for authentication attempts that show patterns consistent with truncated password exploitation, including tracking failed authentication attempts with varying password lengths. The implementation of multi-factor authentication should be considered as a compensating control to reduce the risk of credential compromise, particularly for high-value registry access. Security policies should be updated to require minimum password lengths that exceed typical truncation thresholds, with enforcement mechanisms that prevent any password truncation at the authentication boundary. Additionally, organizations should conduct comprehensive audits of their container registry access controls and implement regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities in other authentication systems within their infrastructure.