CVE-2018-1086 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

CVE-2018-1086, published on April 12, 2018, affects Red Hat's pcs versions 0.9.164 and 0.10. The vulnerability allows attackers to bypass debug parameter removal, potentially leading to privilege escalation.

Understanding CVE-2018-1086

This CVE involves a security vulnerability in Red Hat's pcs software that could be exploited by attackers to elevate their privileges.

What is CVE-2018-1086?

The vulnerability in pcs versions 0.9.164 and 0.10 enables attackers to bypass the debug parameter removal, exposing sensitive information through the REST interface of the pcsd service.

The Impact of CVE-2018-1086

The vulnerability poses a medium severity risk with a CVSS base score of 4.3. It could allow external attackers with valid tokens to escalate their privileges, potentially compromising confidentiality.

Technical Details of CVE-2018-1086

This section delves into the technical aspects of the CVE.

Vulnerability Description

The flaw in pcs versions 0.9.164 and 0.10 lies in the improper removal of the pcs debug argument from the /run_pcs query, which could expose confidential data.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: pcs
Vendor: Red Hat
Affected Versions: pcs 0.9.164, pcs 0.10

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability through the REST interface of the pcsd service, leveraging a valid token to escalate their privileges.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2018-1086 requires immediate actions and long-term security practices.

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply patches provided by Red Hat promptly.
Monitor for any unauthorized access or privilege escalation attempts.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update and patch software to address known vulnerabilities.
Implement strong access controls and authentication mechanisms.

Patching and Updates

Red Hat has released security advisories and patches to address CVE-2018-1086. Ensure timely application of these patches to mitigate the risk of exploitation.