CVE-2018-14659 : Exploit Details and Defense Strategies

Versions 4.1.4 and 3.1.2 of the Gluster file system have a vulnerability that can be exploited to cause a denial of service attack. This CVE was published on October 31, 2018, by Red Hat.

Understanding CVE-2018-14659

This CVE affects GlusterFS versions 3.1.2 and 4.1.4, impacting the availability of the system.

What is CVE-2018-14659?

The vulnerability in GlusterFS allows a remote authenticated attacker to trigger a denial of service attack by exploiting a specific xattr.

The Impact of CVE-2018-14659

CVSS Score: 6.5 (Medium Severity)
Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Availability Impact: High
CWE ID: CWE-400

Technical Details of CVE-2018-14659

This section provides more technical insights into the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability is related to the 'GF_XATTR_IOSTATS_DUMP_KEY' xattr, allowing attackers to generate an unrestricted number of files in the server's runtime directory.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: GlusterFS
Vendor: The Gluster Project
Versions Affected: Through 3.1.2 and 4.1.4

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by mounting a Gluster volume and making repeated calls to 'setxattr(2)', triggering a state dump.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2018-14659 is crucial to maintaining security.

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply the security updates provided by GlusterFS and Red Hat.
Monitor system logs for any unusual activity.
Restrict network access to vulnerable systems.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update and patch software to address known vulnerabilities.
Conduct security assessments and audits to identify and mitigate risks.

Patching and Updates

Update GlusterFS to versions that contain patches for CVE-2018-14659.