CVE-2019-10217 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis

An issue has been identified in Ansible versions 2.8.0 to 2.8.4, affecting the handling of confidential information in GCP modules.

Understanding CVE-2019-10217

This CVE highlights a vulnerability in Ansible versions 2.8.0 to 2.8.4 that could lead to the exposure of sensitive data during playbook execution.

What is CVE-2019-10217?

The vulnerability arises from misconfigured fields handling confidential information in Ansible versions 2.8.0 to 2.8.4.
Specifically impacts GCP modules due to the failure to set the no_log feature to True in the service_account_contents() function.

The Impact of CVE-2019-10217

CVSS Base Score: 5.7 (Medium Severity)
Confidentiality Impact: High
Sensitive data managed by the affected function may be inadvertently exposed during playbook execution.

Technical Details of CVE-2019-10217

This section provides detailed technical insights into the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

Fields responsible for managing sensitive data are not appropriately configured using the no_log feature.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Ansible
Vendor: Red Hat
Versions Affected: ansible 2.8.0 before 2.8.4

Exploitation Mechanism

The common class service_account_contents() fails to set no_log to True, leading to potential data exposure.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2019-10217 requires immediate actions and long-term security practices.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update Ansible to versions 2.8.4 or later to mitigate the vulnerability.
Review and restrict access to sensitive data managed by Ansible playbooks.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement secure coding practices to handle confidential information.
Regularly monitor and audit playbook executions for unintended data exposure.

Patching and Updates

Apply patches provided by Red Hat to address the vulnerability.