CVE-2018-12550 : What You Need to Know

Eclipse Mosquitto versions 1.0 to 1.5.5 are affected by a vulnerability related to ACL file configuration.

Understanding CVE-2018-12550

This CVE involves an issue in Eclipse Mosquitto's ACL file handling that can lead to unexpected behavior.

What is CVE-2018-12550?

If the ACL file in Eclipse Mosquitto is empty or contains only comments or blank lines, versions 1.0 to 1.5.5 will interpret it as if no ACL file is specified, resulting in a default allow policy. The updated behavior now denies all access with an empty ACL file.

The Impact of CVE-2018-12550

This vulnerability can lead to unintended access permissions and security misconfigurations in affected versions of Eclipse Mosquitto.

Technical Details of CVE-2018-12550

This section provides more in-depth technical insights into the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The issue arises when an ACL file in Eclipse Mosquitto is empty or contains only comments or blank lines, causing the system to apply default allow policies.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Eclipse Mosquitto
Vendor: The Eclipse Foundation
Versions: 1.0 to 1.5.5

Exploitation Mechanism

Exploiting this vulnerability involves manipulating the ACL file to bypass intended access restrictions.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2018-12550, follow these mitigation strategies:

Immediate Steps to Take

Update Eclipse Mosquitto to a non-vulnerable version.
Ensure ACL files are properly configured with valid access rules.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly review and update ACL configurations.
Implement least privilege access controls to limit exposure.

Patching and Updates

Apply security patches provided by Eclipse Mosquitto promptly to address this vulnerability.