CVE-2024-9902 in Ansible
Summary
by MITRE • 11/06/2024
A flaw was found in Ansible. The ansible-core `user` module can allow an unprivileged user to silently create or replace the contents of any file on any system path and take ownership of it when a privileged user executes the `user` module against the unprivileged user's home directory. If the unprivileged user has traversal permissions on the directory containing the exploited target file, they retain full control over the contents of the file as its owner.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/05/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-9902 resides within the ansible-core user module, representing a critical privilege escalation flaw that undermines the security assumptions of automated system management frameworks. This issue manifests when an unprivileged user leverages the user module's functionality to manipulate file system permissions and ownership, creating a scenario where system integrity can be compromised through seemingly benign administrative operations. The flaw specifically targets the module's handling of file operations within user home directories, where it fails to properly validate or restrict file system modifications that could affect arbitrary system paths.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through a path traversal mechanism that allows an unprivileged user to manipulate the target file system location when a privileged user executes the user module against their home directory. When the privileged execution occurs, the module silently creates or replaces files at arbitrary system paths while simultaneously taking ownership of these files, effectively granting the unprivileged user persistent control over system resources. This behavior stems from insufficient input validation and inadequate privilege separation within the module's file handling logic, creating an attack surface where file system permissions can be manipulated without proper authorization checks.
The operational impact of CVE-2024-9902 extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it enables persistent backdoor creation and long-term system compromise. An attacker with access to an unprivileged account can leverage this vulnerability to establish unauthorized file system presence on target systems, potentially creating malicious binaries, configuration files, or data exfiltration mechanisms. The vulnerability's stealth nature allows for silent exploitation, making detection difficult and potentially enabling attackers to maintain access while avoiding traditional security monitoring systems. This flaw particularly affects environments where Ansible is used for system administration and where privileged accounts execute user management tasks against potentially compromised or untrusted user directories.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability should focus on immediate remediation through the latest available updates from the ansible-core project, as well as implementing strict access controls and privilege separation policies. Organizations should consider restricting the execution of the user module to trusted administrators only, implementing file system monitoring for unauthorized file creation or modification events, and establishing comprehensive audit trails for user management operations. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-22 Path Traversal and CWE-73 Import Control issues, representing a classic case of insufficient input validation combined with privilege escalation opportunities. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to privilege escalation techniques and persistence mechanisms, particularly leveraging the T1068 Exploitation for Privilege Escalation and T1078 Valid Accounts tactics. System administrators should also consider implementing mandatory access controls and privilege separation mechanisms to prevent unprivileged users from executing administrative modules against system directories, while maintaining comprehensive logging of all user module executions for forensic analysis and threat detection purposes.