CVE-2018-14620 : What You Need to Know

OpenStack RabbitMQ container image vulnerability in Red Hat

Understanding CVE-2018-14620

What is CVE-2018-14620?

The OpenStack RabbitMQ container image has a security issue where it fetches the rabbitmq_clusterer component through an insecure HTTP connection during the build process. This vulnerability could allow an attacker to distribute harmful code to the image creator and subsequently install it in the resulting container image.

The Impact of CVE-2018-14620

This vulnerability is rated with a CVSS base score of 4.7, indicating a medium severity issue. The attack complexity is high, requiring no privileges, and user interaction is required. While confidentiality and integrity impacts are low, the availability impact is none.

Technical Details of CVE-2018-14620

Vulnerability Description

The OpenStack RabbitMQ container image insecurely retrieves the rabbitmq_clusterer component over HTTP during the build stage, potentially allowing an attacker to serve malicious code to the image builder and install it in the resultant container image.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: openstack-rabbitmq-container
Vendor: Red Hat
Vulnerable Versions: 12, 13, 14

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability is exploited by fetching the rabbitmq_clusterer component over an insecure HTTP connection during the container image build process.

Mitigation and Prevention

Immediate Steps to Take

Update to the latest version of the openstack-rabbitmq-container to mitigate the vulnerability.
Monitor for any unusual activities on the container images.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement secure coding practices to avoid similar vulnerabilities in container images.
Regularly scan container images for vulnerabilities and apply security patches promptly.

Patching and Updates

Apply security patches provided by Red Hat to address the vulnerability in the affected versions of openstack-rabbitmq-container.